


Kenobi

by MissScorp



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-04-01 06:11:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13992153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissScorp/pseuds/MissScorp
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi's exile is fraught with challenges. Not only must he dodge bounty hunters while watching over Luke Skywalker, but he also learns Siri Tachi's former Padawan, Ferus is in trouble. However, the biggest challenge he faces is the woman who comes into his life when he most needs a friend but who makes him feel things he's forgotten as both a Jedi and as a man.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, all and welcome!
> 
> This story came about because of the book titled by the same name. I was greatly anticipating a story about Obi-Wan Kenobi's time on Tatooine between episode 3 and 4 but the book failed to deliver on its promise. So, here we are. I hope that you enjoy this little adventure as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Please, if you like this story, kudo/bookmark it!

_In a galaxy far, far away…_

…

Turmoil has engulfed the galaxy. Chancellor Palpatine, now calling himself Emperor, has sent what remains of the Jedi Order into hiding and created what he calls the first Galactic Empire. Cries of "Safety, Security, Justice, and Peace!" echo throughout the Senate, shattering the hearts of those who once believed in the sanctity and safety of democracy.

At his side stands a man once thought of as the most powerful Jedi of his generation. HoloNet called Anakin Skywalker the  _Hero With No Fear_. Now, he has fallen to the dark side of the Force, becoming the Emperor's merciless enforcer,  _Darth Vader_. Under his new Master's command, he hunts down the remaining members of his former Order, none more ruthlessly than his former Master and friend, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Hope seems lost. Many despair as they watch the Emperor slowly, systematically take hold of the galaxy and crush it between his palms. Rebellion's whispered about in the darkest corners. Only the bravest of souls defy the Emperor's rule. Some planets demand the right to secede from the Empire. They get dealt with swiftly and fatally by the Clones once thought designed to serve the Republic.

Yet, a small ray of hope remains. The children of Anakin Skywalker are strong in the Force. Through them, it's believed the Sith shall be defeated and balance and peace again restored to the galaxy. Separating them is all that will give the infants a chance at surviving. Leia gets taken by the young Senator from Alderaan and his beautiful Queen while Obi-Wan Kenobi flees with Luke to Anakin's home world of Tatooine. There he delivers the boy into the arms of Beru Lars. The former Jedi Master then adopts the role of a hermit, silently watching over the boy and his adoptive family.

His exile is not without conditions, however. Before parting ways with Master Yoda, he's told he will receive training from his former Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. However, it's been months since Obi-Wan last heard from his former Master and he has begun to despair that Qui-Gon, as well as the mythical Force that has guided him for so long, has finally abandoned him…

…

Jedi Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi met with Senator Bail Organa in the conference room onboard the Senator's consular starship, the  _Tantive IV._ Their meeting was an important one for it would decide the fates of two children who now carried the weight of the entire galaxy on their tiny shoulders. Master Yoda sat at the head of the long, rectangular table, his great head bowed, shoulders slumped, and his eyes closed.

To a casual observer, it would seem as if the elderly Jedi had either fallen asleep or was deep in meditation. Obi-Wan Kenobi, seated to his left, and Senator Organa, seated on his right, knew it was neither one. None of them spoke. Words simply escaped them. Logic evaded them. Exhaustion and grief weighed heavy upon them all.

The Sith, long believed to have faded into obscurity and which surfaced over a decade ago had finally taken their vengeance upon the galaxy. Chancellor Palpatine, revealed now as the Sith Master, Darth Sidious, disbanded the Republic, orchestrated the slaughter of the Jedi Order, and proclaimed himself the Emperor of what he now called the first Galactic Empire. Hope seemed lost. Rebellion seemed futile. At least, it seemed that way to Obi-Wan. How could they fight a man with as much power as Palpatine now possessed?

The Clones who once followed their Jedi Generals loyally into battle had orders to kill them upon sight.  _Even Cody turned on me in the end_ , Obi-Wan thought with a trace of bitterness and sadness. People suspected of colluding with each other to overthrow Palpatine were either imprisoned or executed. Those suspected of helping the Jedi not slaughtered in the Purge got brought before an inquisition and subjected to varying degrees of torture. Many who once had thought of the Jedi as allies now considered them enemies.  _What are we to do_? Obi-Wan wondered as he waited for Master Yoda to speak.  _How are we supposed to help the galaxy when our numbers are now reduced to almost nothing_?

Any of the Order that managed to survive Order 66 had gone into hiding. At least, he hoped they went into hiding. Obi-Wan himself had used the Force to reach deep within the shell of the Jedi Temple's recall beacon's mechanism, subtly altering the pulse calibration to flip the signal urging all Jedi to  _come home_ to  _stay away_. How many managed to survive long enough to hear the signal, he did not know. He could only trust it was more than just him and Master Yoda who remained. Finally, the wizened Jedi stirred and turned his limpid gaze upon the two men who sat patiently awaiting his wisdom.

"To Naboo," he said in a voice that suddenly sounded old and frail, "we must send the Senator's body."

"Of course," Bail instantly agreed. "That is where she deserves to be laid to rest. Her family is there, after all."

"Pregnant, she must still appear," Yoda pronounced with a heavy sigh. "Hidden, safe, her children must be kept."

Obi-Wan did not even have to ask why. The answer to that was clear. Palpatine could never know about them. Their existence would be a threat that he would quickly eliminate.

"We should split the children up," he managed around the smoke, sand, and emotion clogging his throat. "If the Empire manages to find one of them, at least the other will have a chance at surviving."

"A wise plan, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan took no comfort in that small bit of praise from the elderly Jedi Master. He deserved no praise. Not after he failed to defend and protect the galaxy from the evil now infecting it. And certainly not when it was his fault that the greatest Jedi of the modern era had fallen to the dark side.

"How should they be divided?" Bail questioned as he sat back in his chair. "Who should take which child? And where can they be taken that will be safe from the reach of the Emperor?"

All were good questions. Ones that neither Obi-Wan or Yoda had ready answers for. Where was safe in a galaxy consumed by darkness? Where could they go that nobody would immediately recognize who and what they were? There was only one solution Obi-Wan could come up with and he spoke it now in a tone laced with regret and exhaustion.

"I will take the boy if Master Yoda will take the girl." He looked first at Yoda and then at Bail. "We can find a place to hide them, do what we can to keep them safe, and out of sight of those who might suspect who and what they are." He paused to swallow back the grief threatening to tear him in two. "Once they are grown we can train them as Anakin should have been trai—"

"No."

Master Yoda's flat refusal stunned Obi-Wan into silence. A glance at the Senator's face revealed he was just as surprised as Obi-Wan. He stared at Master Yoda for some moments, trying to figure out why he refused to not only take one of the twins and hide them, but to train them.  _If they are the only hope we have for defeating Palpatine and restoring peace and balance..._

"How are they to learn the self-discipline a Jedi needs?" He frowned his bewilderment. "How will they acquire the skills they need to not only master the Force, but defeat a man as powerful as Palpatine if we do not train them?"

"Jedi training, the sole source of self-discipline is not." Yoda rest his chin on the hands he folded over the head of his gimer stick. "When right is the time for skills to be taught, to us the Living Force will bring them. Until then, wait we will, and watch, and learn."

Confusion ran through Obi-Wan at those words.  _Learn_? He found himself wondering.  _What is it that we are to learn_? Before he could ask the elderly Jedi to explain what it was they needed to learn, Bail coughed, drawing both of their gazes. The Senator flushed and shifted in his seat. Seeing a man normally as cool and calm as Bail so unsettled brought everything that happened into startling, vivid contrast.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Masters," he said politely. "There was just something I wanted to say."

"Interrupt us, you may, Senator." Yoda's face softened. "Say what you want. Listen, we will."

Bail nodded and cleared his throat.

"I..." he began but then seemingly changed his mind about whatever he was going to say. "As you are aware, my Queen and I have not been blessed with a child of our own. We have talked at length of adopting a girl." He looked between Obi-Wan and Yoda. "If you have no objections to it, I would like to take Leia to Alderaan. The Queen and I would raise her as our daughter." In the Senator's dark eyes there was a glimmer of hope. Of want. "She would be loved by us, I assure you. She would want for nothing."

Yoda and Obi-Wan shared a look. It wasn't even a question to either of them about this being the perfect solution. Leia would have a home. Wasn't that what Padmé would have wanted for her daughter? A home, roots, family, friends? The comfort and protection of people who would help her grow up in a galaxy filled with chaos. It was a far better life than she would have with either of them.

"No happier fate could any child ask for," Yoda told the Senator with a soft smile. "With our blessing, and that of the Force, let Leia be your child."

Obi-Wan felt some of the ice surrounding his heart melt at seeing the pure, uncomplicated joy that came over the Senator's face. Seeing how happy Bail was at the prospect of being a father was a balm against the dozens of hurt inflicted in the past few days.

"Thank you, Masters," he stammered, his relief at not being denied the opportunity to raise Leia as his own palpable. "I don't know what else to say but thank you for this gift you have given me and my Queen. We will treasure her, I promise." He got up to leave, but stopped. He turned back to look at them. "Perhaps it is not my place to ask..." A frown puckered his brow. "But what will become of the boy?"

"Mm," Yoda murmured. "Good question, that is. Know, I do not."

"Cliegg Lars still lives on Tatooine," Obi-Wan offered. "As does Anakin's stepbrother." He searched through his memory for the man's name. Anakin mentioned his stepbrother only once after they returned from Geonosis. Then it had come with a great deal of pain. Obi-Wan assumed it was because thoughts of Tatooine dredged up memories of his mother and her death at the hands of the Tuskens. "Owen is his name. We could take Luke to them."

"Are you sure he still lives there?" Bail questioned, his tone revealing his concern. "People do not stay long on a planet like Tatooine."

"As far as I am aware, he and his wife, Beru, still work the family's moisture farm outside of Mos Eisley."

"Hm."

Obi-Wan glanced over at the Jedi Master and saw something he couldn't quite define flicker across his wrinkled face. As if there was something about the planet of Tatooine and the Lars family in general. His brow puckered as unease flip-flopped in his stomach. What about them could Yoda sense that he did not? He shrugged off his disquiet and doubt. There were more pressing matters to attend. Like resolving where to send Luke that would be safe. Later, would be time enough to wonder about the things he saw on the wise Jedi Master's face.

"You don't approve of sending the boy to his family?" Bail broached the silence to ask. "Why?"

"As close to kinfolk as the boy can come," Yoda said slowly, thoughtfully. "However, Tatooine, not like Alderaan it is. Deep in the Outer Rim, it is. Many threats, there are. Much danger, there is."

"Anakin survived living on Tatooine," Obi-Wan couldn't stop himself from pointing out. "Luke can manage to survive there, too. And I..." He paused, considering his next words carefully. "Well, I could take him there, and watch over him. Protect him from the worst of the planet's dangers."

Yoda's ears perked up at his offer and there was a slight twinkle in his green-gold eyes. When he spoke, there was a hint of humor, just a touch of it, in his voice.

"Like a father you wish to be, young Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan felt a surge of heat creep up to warm his cheeks.

"More like an eccentric old uncle, I think," he told the elderly Master sheepishly. "It is a part I believe I can play satisfactorily."

"Do this, without reservations, you will?"

"I will," Obi-Wan confirmed with a slight nod. "In fact." He allowed the hint of a smile to grace his features. "I can't imagine a better way to spend the rest of my life really."

"Settled it is, then." Yoda's hand waved through the air. "To Tatooine, you will take the boy."

"If you'll excuse me, Masters," Bail said as he stood and moved to the door. "I have to call the Queen and tell her the good news." He paused to look back at them. His dark eyes were momentarily troubled. "Master Yoda, do you truly believe that the twins will be able to defeat Palpatine and bring peace and balance back to the galaxy?"

"Strong the Force runs, in the Skywalker line," Yoda informed him sagely. "Only hope, we can that when the time is right, defeat Palpatine they can."

"Hope is better than nothing," Bail said with a sigh. "It's enough to have even that after everything that has happened."

"Agreed." Yoda tilted his head. "Sustain us in the dark days, hope will."

"What will you do, Master Yoda?" He glanced first at Obi-Wan and then back at the ancient Master. "We know Master Kenobi plans to stay on Tatooine with the boy. But what about you?"

"Until the time is right," Yoda replied simply. "Disappear we will."

It was all the answer they could expect from the elderly Jedi.

Bail bowed and said, "Until we meet again," before exiting. Obi-Wan moved to follow him, but Yoda's gimer stick barred his way.

"Master Kenobi, a moment of your time I need." The elderly Jedi gestured for Obi-Wan to return to his seat, then continued, "News I have to share with you."

"Of course, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan resumed his seat. "What news do you wish to share with me?"

"In your solitude on Tatooine, training I have for you. I," the Jedi Master said, "and my  _new_  Master."

Not sure that he had heard Yoda correctly, Obi-Wan hesitantly asked, "Your  _new_  Master?"

"Yes." Yoda smiled up at him. "And your  _old_  one…"


	2. Chapter 2

Holding Luke's swaddled form against his chest, Obi-Wan sat in an uncomfortable seat as he waited to board a public transport bound for Tatooine. He did his best to keep the infant comfortable. Since Luke continued to slumber peacefully, he figured he was finally doing something right. The Jedi Master freely admitted he had no experience with babies. He had never even been this close to a child as young as Luke before. His responsibilities to his own Padawan, and to the Order itself, limited his interactions with the Younglings.

Babies as little as Luke got brought to the Temple after their sensitivity to the Force got determined by a series of specially designed tests. Once there, they got housed in the Temple nurseries and tended by fosterers until they reached an age for sorting into one of the thirteen clans they would stay with until passing the Initiate Trials and becoming selected by a Jedi Knight or Master as their Padawan. He recalled his own days in the Bear Clan with great fondness. He met his best friends, Garen, Bant, Reeft, and Siri after being sorted into his Initiate Clan. The bonds they formed in childhood lasted them until adulthood.  _Or until death_ , he thought, a pang of the never gone grief slowly rolling through him. Siri died on Azure. Bant somewhere in the Purge. Garen on Acherin. He had no idea what fate had befallen Reeft. He could only hope he received not only the warning to stay away from the Temple but managed to avoid the clones eliminating the Jedi across the galaxy.

A Yarkora squeezed by him on his way to an empty seat. Obi-Wan tightened his hold on Luke while watching the large alien make his way through the throng. Trust was a commodity he couldn't afford to waste. Not when Luke's life was the one that would be jeopardized. A quick scan of those around him revealed a three-eyed Gran whispering to an Ishi Tib in a small alcove. Obi-Wan felt a prick of alarm when their eyes cut in his direction. He relaxed when transport security passed by him and their gazes followed them. One couldn't be too cautious. Not in a place appropriately nicknamed as the  _Smuggler's Moon_.

Luke stretched and yawned, immediately drawing his gaze. A momentary envy at the contentment upon the tiny face nestled inside the folds of his blanket filled Obi-Wan. Not that he begrudged the child this brief respite. Their journey thus far had been far from peaceful. Bail had provided him with a supply of untraceable credits for him to use on his journey. He chose to reach the desert planet by means of an indirect route rather than fly to the desert planet himself. He convinced himself it was because public transports would be far more comfortable for Luke than a small starfighter. Bail offered to drop him off at any one of the spaceports in the sector, but Obi-Wan turned his offer down, citing how much attention a consular ship would attract.

The starfighter he had used to make his getaway from Utapau had remained in  _Tantive IV's_  docking bay, and Obi-Wan used it to travel the short distance to Nar Shaddaa. The moon was in a space sector controlled by the most notorious gangsters in the galaxy: the Hutts. Bringing Luke to a filthy, crime-ridden moon dominated by bounty hunters and smugglers would not have been his first choice in the days before the Empire, but the dark elements cast over the Vertical City would best shield Luke from the prying eyes of the Emperor.

A robotic voice came over the loudspeakers and announced there would be a brief layover as the cruiser bound for Tatooine underwent repairs for a minor issue. Obi-Wan imagined it was more than minor repairs grounding the ship. He heaved a sigh as he got up to stretch his stiff muscles. He found himself standing with another group of travelers at a HoloNet kiosk, watching a broadcast about recent events on Coruscant. He cringed when he saw Emperor Palpatine urging people to report anyone whom they suspected of either being a Jedi or aiding one. Beside him, one traveler, a green-skinned Mirialan remarked, "I say good riddance. Jedi were always sticking their noses in where they didn't belong."

Obi-Wan wisely chose to remain silent. The Mirialan reminded him of another he had known. He had no idea whether Jedi Master Luminara Unduli got cut down when the clones carried out their orders, but he feared she had been.  _Another friend lost to war_ , he thought as he tugged his hood lower and turned to walk away. Just about everyone he loved was dead. Their names and faces spun through his mind at an almost nauseating pace. Qui-Gon. Siri. Tyro Caladian. Mace Windu.

Anakin's friends and fellow Padawans, Darra Thel-Tanis and Tru Veld. Their Masters, Ry-Gaul and Soara Antana. All the Jedi and Younglings slaughtered when Anakin led a garrison of clones to the Temple. For it had been just that: a massacre.

His own dearest friends, Bant and Garen. The venerable and indomitable Jocasta Nu. The gentle Ali Alann and Barriss Offee. The fierce warriors Sha Koon, Shaak Ti, Kit Fisto. Even the great Jedi Masters, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Adi Gallia, Plo Koon were gone. The word lingered inside his mind as a terrible reminder of all that had been lost. Jedi he fought alongside, studied with, laughed with, an endless list of the dead that thumped out a drumbeat of pain with every heartbeat. He set his pain and grief aside — not away for that was beyond his abilities at that moment — and focused on his mission. Getting Luke safely to Tatooine was his only focus.

The Tatooine-bound starcruiser he was to board got delayed again, this time by pilot troubles. Obi-Wan did everything he could to keep Luke quiet and content. A crying baby brought unnecessary attention. As he learned while traveling here to Nar Shaddaa. He was starting to run low on the baby food supplements and sanitation materials that the Polis Massanshad thankfully provided before they departed. He had no idea what to do when those provisions ran out. He didn't have any idea of where he could buy more. None of the stores appeared to carry the items he needed.

Part of Obi-Wan started to wonder if his decision to avoid a more direct route to Tatooine had been a mistake. Perhaps it would have been worth the discomfort of flying straight to the desert planet himself. They would have reached their destination days ago had he set aside his dislike for flying. Soon as he thought that, he discarded it. The way he chose was safest. Nobody would look twice at a man with an infant traveling to a remote planet like Tatooine.

Luke squawked a protest when Obi-Wan accidentally jostled him. He tried to soothe him.

"Easy, young one," he said softly as he awkwardly patted his back. "Easy now."

However, Luke was having none of it. His loud protest drew the irate gazes of those around him. Obi-Wan felt his cheeks warm as many grumbles and complaints sounded.  _What do I do_? He found himself wondering as he shifted Luke in his arms.  _How do I quiet him without utilizing anything that might give away I am a Jedi_? A group of Weequays stood up two rows over and slowly began to make their ways in his direction. Every one of Obi-Wan's senses, honed by his years as a Jedi, sharpened as he realized their intent.

He instantly shifted from benevolent guardian into Jedi ready for whatever the three might try. The possibility of danger hummed in his veins. Protecting Luke was his sole objective. The slight elevation in his pulse rate felt normal. It was all familiar, something he had done a hundred times before. And yet he knew nothing was the same. Everything had changed. There was no one here to help him. He was all there was between the infant in his arms and whoever threatened him.

Suddenly, the Weequays stopped. A confused look came over their faces. Then, they turned and walked back to their seats. Obi-Wan blinked.  _What just happened_? He didn't have a chance to ponder on it as Luke issued a louder and much longer protest.

"Hush, young one," he tried again. "Hush now."

Not that Luke was having any more of it this time than he did the last time. Obi-Wan felt a momentary panic flow through him as his cries rose in volume. The Weequays were only the first to show their displeasure over his fussiness. There were plenty of others around him who were even more dangerous than those three.  _And I am limited in what I can do should any decide to attack._

"You're holding him too tightly."

The speaker was a female with a voice soft as the rain that fell in the Isatabith rainforest on the planet Alderaan. He kept his senses on high alert as he partly turned towards the woman.  _Expect the unexpected_. That was what Qui-Gon taught him. However, his Master hadn't taught him to expect the sight that greeted him. The woman was quite lovely, he realized with a jolt of surprise. Her eyes reminded him of the lava river that flowed on Mustafar. Instead of being filled with anger and hatred, as Anakin's had been, hers sparked with gentle humor and a keen intellect. They dominated a face that reminded him of the Jorallan pearl found on the planet of Jotalla.

"Pardon me?" he inquired politely. "Did you say something?"

She indicated Luke with a wave of her hand.

"He's protesting being squeezed like a black melon."

Obi-Wan hid a grimace. He didn't want to squeeze the infant like a piece of fruit, but he had no idea otherwise how to hold him without dropping him.

"How should I be holding him?"

"You need to make a cradle out of your arms," she explained as Luke squawked another protest. "That way he will feel safe and secure in your embrace."

Obi-Wan only vaguely understood what it was she was telling him.

"How do I make a cradle of my arms?"

"Like so," she replied, showing him by folding her own arms. "And let his head rest in the palm left facing upwards."

He tried to do what she showed him but only managed to upset Luke further. He laid him against his chest and gently patted his back to try to quiet him.

"I am a bit new at this still," he confessed, his smile a shade sheepish. "I'm afraid I haven't quite mastered all the subtleties of caring for one as small as him."

"It's okay." Her smile reminded him of Padmé's. Kind, compassionate, warm. "You will learn." She indicated Luke with one hand. "May I?"

Obi-Wan's first instinct was to refuse her offer. However, something, a current in the Force told him the woman meant the infant no harm.  _She is there to help you_ , he swore he heard Qui-Gon say inside his mind.  _You can trust her, Obi-Wan_. Before he could process that Qui-Gin Jinn had spoken to him, much less form a reply, he was gone. Like a lone sigh whispered in the darkness. If Obi-Wan hadn't been told to expect his former Master coming to him, he'd have thought he imagined him. He heeded his former Master's words and offered her a small, hesitant smile.

"Please."

As soon as she shifted the baby into a more comfortable position in his arms, Luke quieted. A smile brightened his face and his cries became soft gurgles of content. Obi-Wan breathed a grateful sigh as the infant gurgled happily. His relief, he knew, was nothing compared to those around him. Already he could feel the tension and hostility easing.

"Thank you," he said to her, his voice thick with his gratitude. "You have helped me avoid a potential catastrophe."

"It is my pleasure to help," she told him as she stroked a hand over Luke's downy head. "He's a beautiful child."

Obi-Wan nodded as he stared down into eyes that reminded him so much of Anakin's.

"He is a blessing."

It was the truth, he realized. Luke  _was_  a blessing. Night may have fallen over the galaxy when Anakin turned to the dark side. Inside of Luke, and his sister Leia, though, was the dawn. They were the light keeping the dark at bay. They were the hope of the future.

"You and his mother are very lucky to have him."

Her words brought a wave of grief and guilt crashing over Obi-Wan. For a moment, he could only sit there, looking at the infant in his arms as he thought about the woman who died giving birth to him. Regret filled him, and not just because he couldn't stop Padmé from dying. Even though he fully believed there wasn't a trace of goodness left in Anakin, as she told him there was, he also knew it would have been a kindness on his part if he smiled or nodded his agreement. She could have died in peace, knowing her children were safe, and that she wasn't the only to believe there was good left inside the man she loved. In the end, he had been powerless to even afford her peace.

"His mother only lived long enough to name him," he said hoarsely. "I am all he has."

 _Until I get him to his aunt and uncle, anyway_. He didn't tell her that, though. Grateful to her as he was, that information was still privileged.

"Oh," she murmured, her eyes reflecting her sadness and sympathy. "I am so sorry for your loss."

Obi-Wan only nodded. He was sorry, too. For so many things. Least of all for not seeing that Anakin was turning more and more to the dark side. He willed his thoughts aside and shifted towards the woman.

"Are you traveling to Tatooine alone or do you have family you are traveling with?"

"I am traveling there alone." She smiled. "My uncle owns a cantina in Anchorhead and has asked me to come work for him."

It was Qui-Gon who taught Obi-Wan that on a mission, anyone could be helpful, from an elderly Wookie to a woman like this one.

"Perhaps we can travel the rest of the way together." A ghost of his former smile curved his lips. "You can help keep me from making any more mistakes."

Her laugh cruised over his frayed nerves and spread warmth to the parts of his body that felt as if they were frozen in carbonite.

"It would give me immense pleasure to help keep you from making any more mistakes."

"You have saved me..." he let his voice trail off intentionally. It was a trick employed by Jedi and people in general. A way of obtaining information without seeming to pry.

"Darsha," she supplied as she extended a hand to him. "Darsha Ra'Shai."

Obi-Wan couldn't give her his real name for obvious reasons. Too many people around them might have heard of Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi. However, he wasn't quite sure why he gave her the name he did.

"Ben," he told her as he took her hand and shook it. "Ben Kenobi."


	3. Chapter 3

His cover was almost blown before he managed to get Luke off Nar Shaddaa. They had just left a shop Darsha knew sold baby formula and other items Luke needed when Obi-Wan felt a tingle of warning creep along his spine. He quickly glanced up and down the street, anticipating seeing a battalion of Clones running towards him. Thankfully, there were none. He breathed a sigh and set a hand gently on Darsha's back to nudge her in front of him. He froze when he spotted a figure moving through the crowd just ahead of them.

The wide-brimmed hat and nastah-hide tunic weren't out of place on Nar Shaddaa. Many of the beings here dressed in similar fashion. However, there was something about the figure that had Obi-Wan's hand inching to the hilt of the lightsaber hidden beneath his robe. The figure turned, and he saw the hint of blue-green skin under the brim of the hat, along with a pair of cybernetic breathing tubes poking out from his cheekbones.  _Cad Bane_ , he realized as dread and fear pulsed beneath his skin.

If there was one bounty hunter he did  _not_  want after him, it was Cad Bane. The Duros was intelligent, expedient, ruthless, brutally vicious in combat, and extremely capable of dealing with Jedi. The only hunter who was better than him had been a Mandalorian by the name of Jango Fett. Obi-Wan had faced off with both hunters and nearly lost each time. Bane was a clever strategist who was willing to do anything to lure Jedi into his traps.  _Oh, this is not good,_ he thought as Darshastopped to allow a group of Rhodians to pass _. This is not good at all._

He couldn't let Bane see him. Not only was he unable to fight him using his lightsaber or the Force, but there was a high probability he'd target Darsha and Luke to force him into surrendering. There was no choice, he realized as he drew his hood more fully over his head. They would have to find somewhere to hide until they could finally board the cruiser for Tatooine. But where? His eyes landed on a glowing green scene advertising the Chance Castle. It wasn't the most ideal of places, but it would have to do.

"A change in plans," he told Darsha in a low tone. "I think we should stay the night at the Chance Castle."

Darsha glanced up at him, her eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. If not for an urgency in getting off the streets, he would have found her reaction to his suggestion amusing.

"The Chance Castle?" She questioned once the shock wore off. "You want to stay the night in the largest hotel-casino on Nar Shaddaa?" She shifted Luke in her arms. "Might I ask why?"

"I do not think spending the night in a spaceport with an infant is a wise idea." He recalled the incident with the Weequays and grimaced. "There was already a near calamity earlier when he got fussy. I imagine that many more will be like-minded if we stay at the spaceport."

Darsha looked down at the baby asleep in her arms, her gaze thoughtful and pensive. That she worried for Luke's safety and well-being as much as he settled and soothed Obi-Wan. He hadn't been sure he should trust her, despite Qui-Gon's urgings. The more time he spent with her, however, the more he came to realize he could put his faith in her.

She wouldn't betray him. Or Luke. She'd sooner stop breathing than be disloyal to those she befriended. Her warmth, compassion, courage, and daring reminded him of Padmé. As did her quick wit, keen intellect, and uncanny intuitiveness. He wished Padmé could see that her son was being well-cared for. Ah, but Padmé — fierce, wise, beautiful Padmé — was dead, too.  _All because Anakin couldn't accept death was part of life_.

"You're right," Darsha agreed as she lifted her eyes to his. "It would be better to take a room then to risk any harm coming to Luke."

He hazarded a look up the street. Cad Bane was standing in front of a HoloNet kiosk. Now was the perfect time to make a getaway.

"Let's go," he said as he settled his hand on her back. "The sign indicates the hotel is at the end of the Promenade."

…

The last leg of his and Luke's journey almost ended in complete disaster. Most of the other passengers onboard the transport were simple beings like him and Darsha. They were just trying to reach Tatooine without anything else detaining them. However, there were a handful of decidedly shady looking characters seated at the back of the cruiser making everyone, especially Obi-Wan, very uncomfortable. He kept a close eye on the ruffians as he waited for Darsha to return from the fresher.

He wasn't used to traveling in this way. The transports or starcruisers provided by the Senate were much better than this one. This freighter was little more than a cargo ship converted into a passenger transport cruiser. The ship was more suitable for transporting inanimate cargo than ferrying living beings to destinations across the galaxy. The lighting was terrible, the seats uncomfortable, and the smell horrendous, though whether it came from the ship itself or the hordes of beings packed in until there was barely any room to move, he did not know. Nor did he rightly care. Long as he got Luke safely to Tatooine was all that mattered to him.

Raised voices caused Luke to awaken from his nap with a disagreeable sound that added to Obi-Wan's uneasy state. He patted the infant's back gently as he murmured softly to him. What it was he said, he didn't know. He was just doing anything at that moment to keep Luke quiet and content. The other passengers would notice a fussy baby. Especially on a crowded transport ship. They would hear that baby and look. Blending in was more than critical. It was essential. He could do nothing that might draw attention to Luke.  _Or to myself_.

He had been lucky so far. Traveling with Darsha added another layer of protection to his cover. Most assumed they were a family traveling to Tatooine to try their hand at farming. Obi-Wan was immensely thankful to Darsha for her help and companionship. Having her traveling with them helped him forget, for a time, everything that happened. His guilt and grief didn't overwhelm him so much. His thoughts remained in the present and on his mission and not sliding off into the past and to his innumerable mistakes.

One of the passengers, a red-skinned Devaronian with two large horns crowning his head, walked up and down the aisle, glaring at passengers as he went. Many of them shrunk back, fearing the sneering humanoid, and rightly so. Devaronian males were extremely aggressive and often looked for ways to pick fights. This one seemed quite young and exceptionally hot-headed. Obi-Wan watched him, sensing he was going to start trouble with someone at any moment. His instincts proved correct as without breaking his stride, the Devaronian stormed over to where a Quara quietly sat and demanded, "Don't you owe me fifty credits?"

The Quara jumped to his feet, issuing a heated denial, and what Obi-Wan suspected was an insult aimed at the parentage of the Devaronian.  _Blast_ , he thought as he shifted Luke into a safer position. If a fight broke out between the two combatants, he didn't know what he would do. It wasn't like he could either activate his lightsaber or use the Force. Not in front of so many spectators. He wished he had thought to purchase a blaster pistol while still on Nar Shaddaa. While decidedly crude a weapon, and nowhere as familiar or comfortable as his lightsaber, it would give him an edge in a fight should he need one.

Several seats over, a Jenet sprang to his feet and hurled an empty bottle at the quarreling pair while laughing uproariously. The Devaronian saw the bottle streaking through the air toward him and nimbly moved to the side to avoid getting hit by it while smiling maliciously at the Jenet. Obi-Wan watched the bottle soar past the Devaronian and head straight for him.  _And for Luke,_ he realized as anger and fear for the infant's safety courses through him.

He acted without thinking, throwing his right hand up to catch the bottle in midair while retaining his hold on Luke with his left. Soft murmurs and awed exclamations arose around him, but he ignored them as he held the bottle out to the scowling Devaronian and said tersely, "I believe this was intended for you."

The Devaronian ignored the bottle, his attention fixed now upon Obi-Wan.

"You move awfully fast for a human."

A chill traveled down Obi-Wan's spine as he realized what he had done. Not that he had any other choice. Luke's safety was his top priority. However, he was now the object of fascination of not only the Devaronian but the other passengers, as well.  _Oh, this is not good_ , he thought as Luke gurgled and squirmed in his arms. Many were whispering and pointing. Others, like the Jenet, were looking at him with suspicion. Obi-Wan kept his attention upon the Devaronian standing in front of him. His long tongue flicked out to lick his lips as he continued to study Obi-Wan through slightly narrowed eyes.

"The only kinda humans I've ever heard of who can move that fast are—"

"Aren't you tired?" Obi-Wan interrupted before the word  _Jedi_  could leave his lips and make an already unpleasant situation even worse. "Hasn't this trip been exciting enough?"

"This trip has been exciting," the Devaronian admitted with a puzzled look. "It has made me tired."

"Why don't you take a nap?" He kept his gaze on the Devaronian's and his senses tuned to the other hooligans still lurking nearby. "That way you can be refreshed when we land on Tatooine."

"I think I will take a nap," he said with a wide yawn. "I want to be refreshed when we land on Tatooine."

And then he fell backward, his slumbering form landing atop the passengers seated directly in front of Obi-Wan. Many protested and shoved the lightly snoring Devaronian to the floor. Others scooted themselves as far away from him as they could on the crowded transport ship. Things quieted down again to Obi-Wan's relief. Still, he cursed himself for his rash display.

He couldn't have let the bottle hit Luke, of course, but his Jedi reflexes had nearly given him away.  _Just one wrong move_ , he thought as Luke wiggled in his arms.  _All it takes is one wrong move in front of someone who has met or seen a Jedi in action and they will figure out what I am_. He would be more cautious in the future.

"Are you and Luke okay?" Darsha whispered as she slid into the seat beside him. The urgency in her tone struck a protective chord inside of Obi-Wan. "Ben?"

"We are fine," he assured her with a small smile. "Just a minor fracas between some bored passengers."

"That bottle..." She paused to throw a disapproving look at the Jenet who was watching them. "Filthy rodent," she hissed, eyes narrowed to slits. The Jenet turned away after throwing Darsha a playful leer. "He could have hurt Luke with his idiocy."

"It did not hit Luke is all that matters."

She reached over to gently skim her fingers over the back of Luke's head. He gurgled happily and blinked eyes that reminded Obi-Wan of Anakin's at her.

"Thank the Gods for those quick reflexes we develop when we become parents." Obi-Wan stiffened as her words echoed above the slight cacophony. "We would have had more than a fussy baby on our hands if that bottle managed to hit him."

What she was attempting to do with her chosen words dawned on Obi-Wan. He shot her an amused look as he maneuvered Luke to his other shoulder.

"You're quite sneaky, Miss Ra'Shai."

"One must be sneaky when they're traveling on a public cruiser bound for a planet like Tatooine." Her lips curved into a smile that brought out her dimple. "Especially when they're traveling with a handsome man and his equally adorable son."

Her gentle teasing brought a flush of warmth to his cheeks.

"I think you can stop now."

"Stop what?"

"Stop the flattery."

"It's not flattery." She handed him a bottle with a milky substance in it. "It's the truth."

"Where did you get this?"

"One of the other passengers has a baby and was willing to trade a couple of bottles of formula and some diapers for my earrings and bracelet."

Obi-Wan blinked. He knew that things could be pricey in parts of the Outer Rim, but that seemed absorbent for a few bottles of baby formula and diapers. Even the meager few supplies he managed to buy on Nar Shaddaa hadn't cost him more than a couple of credits.

"You shouldn't have agreed to such a trade," he gently scolded. "She took advantage of you."

"Perhaps," she allowed with a nod. "But what choice was there? We are running low on diapers and he only has enough formula for another bottle."

"You did not need to give her your jewelry."

"Luke needs the formula more than I do a few beads strung on a piece of thin metal."

"Still," he insisted but she cut him off with a firm word.

"Stop." She smiled to soften the brusqueness of her tone. "I was happy to trade my bracelet and earrings for the items we needed. I would have traded whatever else she wanted to see that Luke got formula and diapers."

Her generosity touched Obi-Wan. In a galaxy torn apart by war and slowly being ripped apart by greed, her warmth and compassion provided both a balm as well as renewed his faith in this not being the end.

"You've done more than enough for he and I both."

"And will continue to help however I can." She slid her fingers between his. Silent support and comfort. "That's what friends do for each other, Ben."

A current of energy sizzled between them as soon as their skin came into contact. It had happened on Nar Shaddaa, too. Obi-Wan ignored it. His main goal was getting Luke safely to Tatooine. Once he did that he could focus on figuring out what this strange bond was between him and Darsha. He glanced at her, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"I could have offered the woman some credits for the milk."

"You are traveling to Tatooine." She sent him an easy smile. "Trading is the way of life there, Ben. You better get accustomed to that now or you won't survive one year on the planet."

That reminder stuck with him for the rest of the flight and during the days following their arrival on Tatooine. He and Darsha chose to part company in Mos Eisley. Before she left in the company of a junk dealer her uncle was friends with, Darsha made him promise to come see her in Anchorhead.

"I will," he promised. It surprised him to discover he meant it. "I will come see you once Luke and I get settled."

The lie tasted foul but there was no choice for it. The less that Darsha knew, the safer she would be should someone discover her connection to him.

"If things don't work out for you on your farm…" She stroked a hand over Luke's head. "Don't be stubborn. It's not worth you or Luke dying."

"We'll be fine," he assured her. "Others have survived. We will, too."

"Still. If things don't look good, you can come and stay with me. We'll figure out what to do."

"Darsha…"

"You're not alone, Ben," she cut in quietly. "You have me to rely on should you need me."

Obi-Wan didn't respond. The truth was he didn't know what to say. There was so much he hadn't told her. Things she couldn't know for obvious reasons. He watched her leave with a heavy heart. He stayed in Mos Eisley just long enough to buy an Eopie and some more supplies for Luke. He set out for the Lars homestead just before sunset the following day. R2-D2 had been to the Lars family moisture farm prior to the Battle of Geonosis and was able to give him a general idea of the farm's location. He reached the homestead as the second sun disappeared into the horizon. To his relief, Owen and Beru agreed to raise Luke.

However, his mission did not end with delivering Luke safely to his aunt and uncle. No, his duty was also to watch over the boy and make sure that no harm came to him or the man and woman who took him in. Their farm was in the Great Chottsalt flat, which was on the outskirts of the Jundland Wastes. It was far removed from the closest city, Anchorhead. If trouble were to erupt it was likely nobody would know about it for weeks or months. He thought his being nearby would offer some measure of comfort to the Larses. Especially since Tusken Raiders were known to have a heavy presence in the area.

He soon learned he was gravely mistaken.


	4. Chapter 4

A couple of weeks after delivering Luke to his aunt and uncle, Obi-Wan rode his Eopie east across the desert. He had acquired the small beast just after his arrival on Tatooine. He needed a method of transport to deliver Luke to the Lars homestead that was least likely to attract attention or arouse suspicion. The beast had proven itself immensely useful — if not completely loyal — thus far. Often, he had to track down where the beast had wandered off to as he handled what little business he needed to. At first, the Eopie's inability to stay where he left it exasperated him. Now its antics amused more than annoyed him.

As he rode, he was mindful of his surroundings. He had seen signs of Tusken Raiders all around him. There was every possibility that at least one tribe was aware of his presence and just waiting for him to enter a canyon before striking. They were very tricky and knew the terrain far better than he. Even as well-trained as he was, he was not omnipotent. He could be felled by one well-timed blow or blaster shot. It was something he needed to avoid at all costs.

His thoughts strayed to Padmé. As they so often did when he was alone. Her last words before taking her last breath had been to tell him, "There's still good in him." Even after everything Anakin had said, done, she still believed there was good somewhere inside him. He didn't know if that was the hope of a dying woman or the lingering bit of love she felt convincing her that the man who used the Force to choke her wasn't the monster everyone thought.

Obi-Wan found himself struggling to remember anything other than the Anakin he left on Mustafar. Yellow eyes burning with an almost feral sort of hatred. Once handsome face now contorted with fear, anger, and agony as the fire seared away his flesh. That once teasing tone bubbled like the lava river undulating behind him as Anakin screamed his final words at him.

…

"I hate you!"

Hearing his best friend, his brother spew such vitriolic words at him stung more than the smoldering air.  _Is this what we've come to, old friend?_ Hatred and jealousy and bitterness? What little of Obi-Wan's heart was left shattered into a billion pieces as he realized Anakin was lost to him forever.

"You were my brother, Anakin." Hurt and sadness rippled in every word that made it past his dry, cracked lips. "I loved you."

A streak of silver broke through the black clouds overhead and brought a surge of darkness that caused his nerves to bubble and bounce. Only one being could be arriving in that shuttle:  _Palpatine_.

Yoda had not succeeded then.

He hadn't defeated Palpatine.

His heart plummeted as what little hope he had died. Palpatine had won. He was now Emperor. He controlled everything. His final vengeance was turning the Chosen One into his puppet and having him slaughter the Jedi in the Temple. Below, Anakin screamed as he burst into flame. Obi-Wan knew it would be merciful to kill him, but he was not feeling merciful.

Not after what Anakin had done in the Jedi Temple.

Not after what he did to Padmé.

To climb down to that black beach would only cost him more time than he had. In the end, there was only one choice for him to make. He was still Obi-Wan Kenobi, he was still a Jedi, and he would not murder a helpless man. No, he would do what he had done many times before.

He left it to the will of the Force.

…

Even after all the unforgivable things Anakin had done, Obi-Wan still found himself missing him. Anakin had been his Padawan, his friend, his brother for close to thirteen years. Same as he had been Qui-Gon's. He found himself missing Qui-Gon even more as of late. Before departing for wherever it was the ancient Jedi Master had decided to go and hide until it was the time for them to resurface, Yoda had instructed him about how to communicate with Qui-Gon. Beyond that one fleeting moment on Nar Shaddaa when he swore Qui-Gon spoke to him to assure him he could trust Darsha, he had yet to hear from his former Master. Part of him wondered if Master Yoda had been mistaken about the training that Qui-Gon would give him.

Another part, a darker part, questioned if his former Master hadn't simply abandoned him after everything that happened. He shrugged his maudlin thoughts off as he turned the Eopie in the direction of the Lars homestead. The suns had almost set by the time he reached the Larses. As usual, the security lights were already switched on and a few KPRdroids were patrolling the area around the underground compound.

On other evenings when he came to check on things, Owen had emerged from the entrance dome to check the droids before returning below ground for the night. Obi-Wan had come to think of Owen's action as a silent signal telling him all was well, and that he could make his way back to his own home without having to worry himself. On this night, however, he found him outside and seemingly waiting for him.

Owen stood several meters away from the entry to the dome, a blaster rifle in his hands that he aimed towards the ground, and a pensive frown upon his face. Obi-Wan wasn't surprised at seeing him with the weapon. Owen tended to carry it whenever he stepped outside after nightfall. It was a measure of safety and precaution. Especially out here in the Great Chott salt flat.

One never knew when the Tuskens might attack. The nearest settlement was many miles away. Help wouldn't arrive until it was too late. After the last series of raids left three settlers dead, he couldn't fault the man for being even more cautious than usual. If he was Owen, with a wife and baby to think of, he would probably be just as on edge.

"Hello, Owen," Obi-Wan greeted as he brought the Eopie to a halt. "Is everything alright here?"

Owen nodded, once. "Things are fine."

Obi-Wan started to dismount, but Owen held up a hand to stop him.

"Don't bother getting down." His tone was terse, and his expression suggested he would not accept any sort of refusal. "What I want to say won't take me long to say."

Obi-Wan had a sneaky feeling that Owen was about to say something he wasn't going to especially like hearing. He kept his eyes on him as he shifted his weight back onto the Eopie.

"What is it you wish to say to me?"

There was a moment of silence as Owen gathered his thoughts. Obi-Wan waited patiently.

"Look, I'm not sure how to exactly put this," Owen finally said in a rare moment of candor. "So, I'm just going to come out and say it. Alright?"

Obi-Wan gave a slight nod. "Of course."

"The way you keep coming around my place… it bothers me."

Obi-Wan had a feeling that he was going to say that.

"I'm sorry, Owen." He kept his tone light, apologetic. "You know that I do not mean to bother you or your wife. I just need to make sure that the boy is—"

"My wife and I are the ones raising Luke, right?" Owen interrupted him to ask. His eyes narrowed. "That's what we agreed to the night you brought him here and asked us to take him in. Am I right?"

Obi-Wan's senses tingled with the level of hostility in Owen's voice, on his face.

"Yes, of course," he agreed slowly. "You and your wife are raising Luke. I..."

"I didn't agree with you coming here and checking on us every night."

"I know you didn't necessarily agree with my coming here and checking on you as often as I have. However, with the Tuskens…"

"I don't mean any disrespect to you or those fancy Jedi skills of yours, but I've been keeping Tuskens off my property for years."

Again, Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, I know you have. I don't mean to imply that you cannot defend your family or property on your own."

"Thank you." His tone was biting. "But that doesn't stop you from coming around here and disrupting our lives." He shook his head. "I just can't have you showing up here every night. I can't."

Struggling to keep calm, Obi-Wan said, "Owen, I assure you, I don't question your ability to handle the Tuskens. I understand you can handle the Tuskens just fine. However, it is not only the Tuskens I'm worried about coming here and harming you and your family."

"Oh, right," Owen sneered. "It's the  _Empire_. Well, now, let me ask you something about that."

"Of course." Obi-Wan struggled with keeping his tone neutrally, carefully blank. He expected Owen would be unhappy with his coming here, but he hadn't expected this much hostility. "You are free to ask me anything."

_Long as it isn't about Anakin and what really happened to him._ Not that he expected Owen to ask him about Anakin. They had one brief conversation about Anakin after he delivered Luke to them. Owen had hinted then about seeing something in Anakin that had frightened him.  _If only he knew what sort of monster his brother would become a few short years after his mother's death_ …

"Have you thought about what would happen to Luke if one of them Jedi hunters you warned me about tracked you here and found you snooping around my backyard?"

Those words, the cold truth of them, left Obi-Wan momentarily dumbstruck. Had he unwittingly placed the Larses and Luke in danger by coming here as often as he did? Was it possible he left some minute trace that one of the Jedi hunters he heard was hired by the Empire could pick up and use to find him? He was so cautious when he made his daily treks. He always came at dusk, he never traveled the same path, and he never stayed for long. However, there was no denying the logic in Owen's question. Even he could make a mistake. He was far from perfect. Something he went to say to Owen, but his next words stopped him.

"It seems to me that if you're so concerned about Luke's well-being that you'd stay away from us." Owen pointed a finger at him. " _You're_  more of a danger to him than any Tusken."

Obi-Wan grimaced as he saw how right the man was. He  _was_  the largest threat to Luke. He could see that now.

"Forgive me, Owen," he said sincerely. "You're absolutely right. I should have been more careful when coming here. More discreet. I promise to do so in future."

"Again, I don't mean any disrespect." Obi-Wan had a feeling he meant otherwise. "We can protect Luke. There's no need for you to always lurk around the place. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand." He waited, expecting Owen to say something more. When he didn't, Obi-Wan inclined his head and said, "Well, good night, Owen."

Owen nodded, then spun around and headed inside the entry dome. Obi-Wan watched for a moment, his thoughts and feelings conflicted before he turned his Eopie and guided the creature back into the desert.

…

Obi-Wan had never lived in any one place by himself for any length of time. Like most Jedi, he spent most of his life at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Now he found himself living on a planet where even the most basic supplies were difficult to get. It was a far cry from how things were on Coruscant. He was accustomed to having every provision he might need for a mission given to him prior to leaving the Temple.

What items he didn't have would either be given to him by those who requested the help of the Jedi or got purchased with the credits given out by the Council for such use. There was no Council here to give him either provisions or credits, and no engineers or builders to call upon to do the work required to the abandoned hut he had come across by accident.

He quickly discovered there was a surprising amount of wildlife and vegetation readily available on a planet that seemed so inhospitable. From Darsha, he learned about where to gather berries and other vegetables that he could safely consume. By watching womprats and other omnivores, he determined what small animals were edible. His Jedi reflexes enabled him to catch the fast-running, two-legged rodents called scurriers as well as worts. If he had to choose one of them to eat, he would personally pick the worts. Dried Bantha and Dewback meat could also be found in stalls across many of the planets spaceports, but his credits were limited, and the least amount of time he spent in any town, the better.

After his conversation with Owen, he dedicated himself to making much-needed repairs to his dwelling. He found the hovel as he was returning from delivering Luke to the Larses. His Eopie wandered off the path he set and took a detour that led him here. It was as if the Force led the beast here. The small dwelling was little more than a hovel carved out of the canyon wall. It suited his few needs well enough, though. Plus, it was far enough from the Larses homestead that he wasn't a concern to the family but close he could reach it should there be trouble.

He had no idea how long he might live here on Tatooine but having the roof over his head not come crashing down on him during the first serious sandstorm sounded like an especially appealing plan. For all Obi-Wan's achievements as a Jedi, for all he did while serving as a General for the Republic, there were still many things he simply couldn't do on his own. He required special tools and materials to fix and clean the moisture vaporator beside the hut, the stove in his living area, and the water cistern in the cellar that spewed brown water more often he liked.

He was fortunate when a passing clan of Jawa traders took notice of him as they passed by his dwelling on their way into Anchorhead. They parked their massive Sandcrawler near his hut and watched as he attempted to repair the moisture vaporator. Their soft chattering indicated clearly to Obi-Wan that they did not think he would be very successful at repairing the thing.

He thought much the same thing.

The maroon-cloaked creatures were clearly impressed at how he managed to survive out here for as long as he had with as little as he had. They were only too happy to share their tools and what few supplies they could spare with Obi-Wan, especially after he offered to give what food and trinkets he could give them in return. He even gained more favor when he noticed three young Jawas had taken a liking to his Eopie. As he no longer felt he needed the beast, he encouraged them to take it as a gift.

The Jawa chieftain responded by chittering and gesturing at their Sandcrawler to convey how he would be happy to give Obi-Wan rides to the nearby cities and settlements, which was exactly what he had hoped he would do. Sandcrawlers traveled faster than an Eopie. The Sandcrawler would give shelter from the twin suns that beat mercilessly down on the planet, as well as keep anyone who might be searching for him from easily tracking his movements.

"Thank you, my friend." Obi-Wan bowed to the Jawa chief. "I will happily take you up on that offer. And please," he said, smiling for the first time in days. "Call me Ben."


	5. Chapter 5

When Obi-Wan saw the Sandcrawler passing by his hut on its way to Anchorhead, he flagged them down and asked if he could ride with them into town. "Of course," the Jawa chief chittered excitedly. Further chirps and gestures indicated how much it would please them to help their friend, Ben. Obi-Wan found himself humbled by both their generosity and willingness to help. It was an extra reminder that not all was dark in the galaxy. Good could be found in the unlikeliest of places.  _Such as a backwater planet controlled largely by the most amoral beings in all the galaxy_.

Anchorhead was a wind-scoured settlement about a hundred kilometers east of the Lars homestead. It was one of the smaller settlements on Tatooine. In truth, it was little more than a wind-scoured trading post designed to serve as a midpoint between the vast expanse of the Jundland Wastes and larger towns like Mos Espa and Mos Eisley. It boasted about a dozen pourstone stores, a handful of merchant stalls, a junkyard, a small spaceport, and two small cantinas, one of which he knew was owned by Darsha's uncle, Rylan Ra'Shai.

One of the largest buildings in Anchorhead was Tosche Station. The station not only supplied power to the town itself but also to many of the moisture farms in the area, as well. On the outskirts of town was a junkyard owned by the Toydarian, Zab Nim. The Jawas often sold or traded the parts or droids they recovered during their foraging expeditions to him. Obi-Wan found that despite being ill-tempered and cheap, the Toydarian was one of the few honest merchants on the planet. His dealings with Zab Nim might not have left him with the most pleasant of feelings, but he never walked away feeling cheated.

His pretext for needing to go into town this morning was that he was either in need of parts or a replacement for his moisture vaporator, as he still hadn't gotten the thing working properly, and would very much like to do so. The Jawas excitedly chirped they'd help him with getting what he needed. Obi-Wan felt a smidgeon of guilt for having lied to them. While he definitely needed the things he indicated, he did have an even more important reason for making this particular trip.

A whisper in the Force told him Luke was heading into Anchorhead with his aunt and uncle for their monthly supply run. Owen may have insisted on him keeping his distance from their homestead, but Obi-Wan didn't feel that request extended to anywhere else. There was no way he could completely abandon his mission. He not only promised Padmé her children would be safe, but he swore to Master Yoda he would keep an eye on Luke to make sure no harm came to him. He couldn't fail either one.  _I already failed Padmé when I didn't see Anakin needed my help._

Owen had made a valid point about his needing to use more caution in his coming and goings. Hadn't his near encounter with Cad Bane on Nar Shaddaa not been enough of a warning about how his enemies could find him if he wasn't more prudent? Didn't the incident with the Devaronian not teach him about how he needed to exercise extreme caution? One wrong move or small slip was all it would take for someone to figure out who and what he was. Luke's survival depended on him not only keeping a low profile but in making sure nobody associated him with either the Larses or their orphaned nephew.

To avoid arousing any suspicion, Obi-Wan sat in one of the cantinas,  _The Twin Travelers_ , and had a drink of water while he kept watch. If Owen happened to spot him sitting there, well, he could simply say he was in town to buy his own supplies and decided to stop in for a drink like many of the others around him.

Not that Owen was likely to believe him, of course.

Beru was carrying Luke in a sling that she wore over her chest so she could browse the items for sale in the stalls lining the street. Obi-Wan could see Luke was completely at ease in his aunt's embrace. He contentedly dozed as Beru shopped, totally oblivious to the hive of activity going on around him, and unaware of the dangers awaiting him. Obi-Wan was overjoyed at seeing the infant in such a peaceful state of repose. There was a part of him that missed having that quiet time with Luke. Once he got over his initial unease, he found he quite enjoyed taking care of an infant. Jedi were not expressly forbidden from having children, but they were not allowed to form any sort of bond whatsoever with them. Part of Obi-Wan — a side not thinking logically — yearned to take Luke and raise him. The more rational side of him chastised him for even thinking he had no right to such a wish.

Seeing the family was happy made it clear that the decision to bring Luke here and have the Larses raise him was the right one. No, Luke wouldn't have the same life as his sister, Leia. He wouldn't be raised in a palace with servants or have the best of everything given to him. It would be a good life nonetheless. He was loved. He was safe. Nothing was more important than that.

The only other thing he found himself craving that day was a chance to see Darsha. He hadn't seen her in almost a month. It wasn't that he purposely avoided coming into town or only stopped at the cantina on the nights she wasn't working. Things at his homestead kept him quite occupied. When he wasn't busy making repairs to something, he was going to the Larses to check on Luke. It left little time for socializing. However, if he was honest with himself then he would admit he had chosen times to come into town when he knew Darsha was either too busy to talk or wasn't working.

It wasn't that he was deliberately avoiding her. A frown creased his brow. At least, he didn't  _think_  he was doing it purposefully. Why would he? He enjoyed Darsha's company. The time they spent together was some of the happiest he enjoyed in a long while. He felt more at peace when he was with her, more content. For a little while, he felt like his former self. Anakin's betrayal, his guilt, and grief all lessened when he was with her. Did he understand the connection that sprang to life between them when their skin came in contact? No. It was a puzzle he was still attempting to decipher. For now, he accepted it, embraced it for what it was: a connection with another living being.

The cantina had an old hyperwave repeater broadcasting intermittent HoloNet displays of the latest news reports from across the galaxy. Obi-Wan paid the broadcasts scant attention. Most of the news was little more than recaps of disputes and events that happened months ago. Getting current news so far out in the Outer Rim was next to impossible. Right now, the reporter was discussing a mining accident on the planet Kessel. Obi-Wan kept a partial ear trained on the report as he watched Beru and Luke. His attention got distracted when he thought he heard the HoloNet reporter say one word:  _Jedi_. Obi-Wan quickly turned to look at the cantina's HoloNet display, but a sudden burst of static interrupted the broadcast.

He turned to the man behind the bar and asked, "What were they saying about the Jedi?"

"Couple of 'em were killed on Otavon XII," the man replied in a low, guttural rasp. "Them and a buncha locals looking to stir up some trouble or something." The man shook his head. "As if they stood a chance against the Empire."

_Oh, this is not good_ , Obi-Wan thought as the broadcast finally resumed. He watched the report with rising dread. The water in his belly turned into razor-sharp balls of ice that poked holes in wounds that hadn't begun to heal. The Emperor claimed the Jedi were on Otavon XII plotting with the Ovuni to assassinate him and start a rebellion. Obi-Wan knew that was a lie. Was it possible? Of course. However, something about his words struck him as false.  _And given how Palpatine revealed himself as the grandest manipulator of all_ …

The report went on to say how the Imperial forces not only killed the unidentified Jedi, but also hundreds of Ovoni rebels as they attempted to destroy the base the Empire built on the planet. Obi-Wan's mind reeled. He wondered who the slain Jedi could be. His thoughts spun as he tried to absorb the impact of this latest emotional blow.  _They were to have gone into hiding,_ he thought furiously.  _Not plotted rebellion_! Hadn't they gotten his message? Didn't they realize how dangerous it was now for them?  _What were they thinking_?

The HoloNet display squawked and flickered again, and finally displayed an image of someone clad in black armor from head to toe. Although the audio transmission was garbled, the images conveyed that this armored being played a key role in hunting down and executing the Jedi. Then the reporter said a name he had hoped to never hear again:  _Darth Vader_.

Horror crashed over Obi-Wan in icy waves. Finally, the Force revealed what it had decided. There was no guessing any longer. Anakin had survived their duel on Mustafar. The Force, in its infinite wisdom, had decided to spare him. Why, he did not know. It wasn't for him to question. The will of the Force was something he never questioned. _I was the one who left his fate for the Force to decide_ , he thought as the hand curled around his mug trembled.  _It is my fault this happened_. By not killing Anakin as he should have in those decisive moments, he doomed what Jedi remained to death.  _He will not stop until he eliminates what remains of the Order._

The report shifted to one about an illegal podracing ring having been discovered on a planet he didn't catch the name of. Not that he cared one way or another. His mind was firmly focused on what he just heard. If there was one Jedi that Vader — the thing he saw in that report was more of a machine than it was a man — wanted dead most of all, it was him.  _Could I defeat him now_? That question tumbled around inside his head. Was it possible he could lure his former Padawan into a confrontation and do what he should have on Mustafar? Would that balance the scales? If he defeated Vader… would it ensure that Luke would be safe?

He needed to get back to his homestead. He needed to meditate on this. The Force would help guide him.  _Same as it always has_. Obi-Wan picked up his rucksack and staggered out of the cantina. Although he had not forgotten how he had come to Anchorhead to keep watch over Luke, his mind was no longer as firmly focused on the task as it should have been. His thoughts were firmly locked on Vader. On stopping him. On righting the wrong he committed when he left Anakin's fate to the Force.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the Lars family had finished their shopping and were returning to their homestead. Even though he knew they would get back to their farm in a timely manner, he felt uneasy about them traveling through the desert without any sort of protection. Especially now that he knew Anakin had survived their duel.  _Should I tell them about Anakin being Darth Vader?_  He quickly discarded that thought.

Revealing to them about Anakin being the second most evil being in the galaxy would only do more harm than good. Owen was suspicious about Anakin's death. He hadn't questioned him about the way his brother died, but Obi-Wan sensed he didn't completely believe him when he said it happened during the Purge. He also hadn't believed his reason for watching over his family was because of a promise made to Anakin before they parted ways. He would be wise to keep his reasoning for leaving Tatooine a secret from the Larses.

_Perhaps I should take Luke and hide him somewhere else before going to confront Vader_. Even as he thought it, he discarded it. There was no place safer for Luke than here with his aunt and uncle. Owen would do his best to keep Luke safe. Obi-Wan's training taught him there was no such thing as fear. Fear, after all was a path to the dark side. Fear was what corrupted Anakin. However, as he thought about Luke, he was almost overwhelmed by the anxiety that swept over him. He made to follow, not sure what exactly he intended, but a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Ben."

Recognizing Darsha's voice, Obi-Wan stopped before reaching under his robes for the lightsaber hidden there. He turned to look at her.

"Darsha," he managed around the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry, I..."

"Come on," she interrupted hurriedly. "We have to get off the street." Worry filled her face. "It's not safe."

_Not safe_? A bewildered frown pulled at Obi-Wan's brow as he tried to process her meaning.  _What does she mean that it is not safe_? A glance at the street showed him how shopkeepers and vendors were closing and shuttering windows and doors. Many were quickly carrying goods and wares inside their small shops. Others were tossing Dewback hides over boxes too heavy to cart inside. A glance at the sky revealed the source of why. The only time he had been in a sandstorm had been after the ship carrying he, his master and then Queen Amidala to Coruscant was forced to land on the planet to make repairs to the ship's damaged hyperdrive.

_That was when Qui-Gon met Anakin and discovered he was the Chosen One_. How he wished he could go back to that time. There were so many things he'd do differently. He would have ensured Qui-Gon did not die at the hands of Darth Maul on Naboo for one. He would have agreed with Master Yoda about not training Anakin for another.  _And I would not have promised to train the boy for a third_.

The street emptied as people sought shelter from the sharp blasts of wind sending sand and loose debris flying everywhere. Obi-Wan knew how perilous these sandstorms could be. There was just one thing even more dangerous than the growing sandstorm concerning him at that moment: the Nautolan bounty hunter, Fong Do.  _Oh, dear,_  Obi-Wan thought as the hunter made his way slowly up the street.  _He is the last thing that I need right now_. Those black eyes swept the stalls, the doorways, the faces of all those who pushed past him in their effort to get out of the storm. He was clearly looking for something.  _Or someone_. Any second and his gaze could land on Obi-Wan.  _I can't let him see me. He knows my face. He knows I'm a Jedi._

"Come on, Ben!" The rising urgency in Darsha's tone matched the anxiety burning below his skin. "We have to find shelter! Hurry!"

"Do you have a place nearby?" He pulled his hood more fully over his face. "We won't last out here long."

"We can use my uncle's storehouse," she told him as she turned away from the stinging gusts of sand. "He won't mind. Come on, it's this way."

Another furtive glance showed Fong Do had ducked into the doorway of the  _Twin Travelers_. Obi-Wan couldn't blame him. The wind had gathered force in the last several seconds, whipping at his robe, and tearing through the street with wild abandon. His troubled eyes looked off into the distance and saw the world was beginning to disappear behind a curtain of sand. He hoped the Larses made it somewhere safe before the storm hit.

"Ben, come on!" She grasped his hand and tugged on it urgently. "We have to get off the street. Hurry!"

"Lead the way."

With the wind howling all about them and the air becoming clouded with thick plumes of sand, Darsha led him down the street in a rush.


	6. Chapter 6

The sandstorm swept through the streets of Anchorhead with more force than a dozen Republic gunships. The air became a blinding, choking whirlwind of sand that tore at their clothes, stung their eyes, and the exposed portions of skin with a ruthlessness that left them gasping. Obi-Wan held tightly to Darsha's hand for fear of losing her to the storm. The feel of her fingers intertwined with his brought him both a measure of comfort and bolstered his flagging confidence.

That strange connection surged between them as a blast of wind knocked them against the side of a building. It felt cool as the mists from the waterfalls in Naboo's Lake Country, as fluid and strong as the rivers that flowed into the lake surrounding Varykino. Energy and light pulsed beneath his skin, beat with every beat of his heart and swirled inside his soul. Obi-Wan imagined that if he closed his eyes he would see those blue-edged balls of light spinning around inside of him. He reveled in the sensations, the feelings, the connection. It was a joy to experience a link with another being after so many months of being isolated and alone. He had yet to figure out what this bond between them was, but for the moment he didn't care. He rejoiced in it. Celebrated it.

Especially as the storm continued to intensify.

Residents, droids, and displaced travelers struggled by them, all of them engaged in a similar pursuit of finding somewhere safe they could wait out the worst of the sandstorm. Obi-Wan could see many with their heads lowered, faces covered by scarves, hoods or scraps of dewback hide to protect them as much as possible from the razor-sharp granules. Many trudged along with their bodies bent almost in two, pushing through the choking cloud towards locations they could only hope were where memory told them they'd be.

Somewhere in the distance, an Eopie bawled in fright. Obi-Wan felt a stirring of pity for the creature. Native to the planet and acclimated to its harsh conditions they might be, but even they suffered during these unpredictable storms. How could anything prepare for a storm that tended to come from out of nowhere and without giving any sort of warning? They turned a corner and had to move aside to allow a trio of Jawas to scurry past as fast as their short little legs could carry them. Obi-Wan found himself more than half-tempted to follow them. Inside the Jawas Sandcrawler would be much safer than out here in the open. Getting back to the Sandcrawler would also allow him to get back to his dwelling. There he could meditate on all he saw and heard in the cantina and figure out what his next course of action should be.

Everything inside him rebelled at the thought of leaving Darsha to suffer through the storm alone.  _I owe her for showing up when she did._ And for so much more, he realized as a gust of wind whipped beneath his robes and chilled his moist flesh. If Darsha hadn't pulled him from the hold his wayward thoughts had over him, he might have walked right into the hands of Fong Do. Luke, what hope there was for the galaxy, all of it would have fallen by the wayside if she hadn't attracted his attention when she did. He could not let Fong Do discover his presence here on Tatooine. Even if the Nautolan did not find out about Luke being the son of Darth Vader, word could still reach those more likely to question what he was doing living on Tatooine.  _Like Anakin_. Learning he was on Tatooine could bring his former Padawan to investigate.  _I cannot allow that to happen,_ he thought _. I must do whatever is necessary to keep Luke from being discovered by either Palpatine or his new apprentice_.

The light turned an eerie yellowish sort of gray. A quick glance at the sky showed Obi-Wan that the suns that beat down so relentlessly before had become obscured by a wall of sand and grit. Even the buildings less than a few kilometers away got swallowed up in the deep, impenetrable haze.  _Oh, this is not good_ , he thought, stomach curling with dread. The wind whipped around the corner of one building and slammed into Darsha, who let out a hoarse cry. Obi-Wan caught her before she could fall.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm okay!" He barely heard. "Let's keep moving!"

Obi-Wan nodded and put an arm around her to help protect her from the invisible hands trying to push them back from where they just came. A wall of sand rose up in front of them like a gigantic wave. Obi-Wan curved his body around Darsha's to shield her from the worst. Her fingers curled into the folds of his tunic just above his belt as the wave crashed down around them. Obi-Wan sent a quick prayer to the Force that she didn't discover his lightsaber. How he would explain his being a Jedi to her, he did not know. It was a discussion he felt more and more they should have.  _And soon_ , he thought as something hard bounced off his shoulder.

"We aren't going to last out here very much longer!" The howl of the wind made his shout seem like a whisper. "How much further is it to your uncle's storehouse?"

"It's on the next street!"

"We need to hurry!"

His words got swallowed in the roar of the wind. Darsha seemed to understand what he said because she nodded and pointed what direction they needed to go. They pushed on, holding each other as they continued along the deserted street. As he fought the wind and stinging bits of sand, Obi-Wan's mind drifted elsewhere. He thought again about taking Luke and hiding him somewhere else before going after Vader and finishing what he should have on Mustafar. Even as he thought it, he wondered if it was even possible. Could he defeat his former Padawan? Was the risk even worth it? Part of him believed it was. If he could kill Darth Vader it would take away the strongest ally that Palpatine had. What Jedi might have survived Order 66 would be safe from Vader's wrath. They might even find a way to remove Palpatine from power and restore the Senate. Luke and Leia would then grow up without the pressures of the galaxy weighing upon them.

Another part of him, the more rational one, told him he was being foolhardy, prideful, selfish. How could he consider abandoning Luke to go after Vader? If he failed to succeed he would leave the boy to an uncertain future. Vader could discover his son's existence and rather than take him to his diabolical Master, he could train him in the ways of the Sith before overthrowing Palpatine and ruling the galaxy with Luke at his side. He couldn't allow that to happen. He wanted to do something to correct the mistake he made but he just didn't know what he could do that wouldn't endanger Luke. More than ever, Obi-Wan found himself wishing Qui-Gon would come to him as he had on Nar Shaddaa. He could really use his former Master's guidance and wisdom. Yet Qui-Gon didn't come to him.  _Not like I expected him too_ , he thought bitterly.

Another blast of wind came at them from behind, knocking Darsha away from him. Obi-Wan grasped her hand and pulled her back against him. That connection snapped between them the second their skin came into contact. A frown creased Obi-Wan's brow as he tried to puzzle out why that was. Was it the Force? No, he thought with a small, dry chuckle. It couldn't be the Force.  _Remember that the simplest answer is often the most logical,_  he thought he heard Qui-Gon say.

What was the simple answer, though? As far as he was aware, there were no other Force users here. Besides Anakin, A'Sharad Hett and his father, Sharad were the only other members of the Jedi Order to come from Tatooine. Sharad Hett died at the hands of the bounty hunter, Aurra Sing many years ago. Of A'Sharad, Obi-Wan did not know. He could only hope the Jedi Master managed to evade the clones and find somewhere safe to hide. Darsha's fingers tightened on his as another burst of wind sent an unfortunate droid sailing past them, trilling a plea for help. Not that there was much that Obi-Wan could do.

Energy surged, careening through his fingers and along his arms to spread warmth and light throughout his body.  _Darsha_ , he realized with a frown.  _She_  was the source of the energy. That made no sense, though. She wasn't Force sensitive. Or was she? Obi-Wan darted a glance at her but saw nothing that answered the plethora of questions tumbling through his mind. Questions would have to wait, however. At least until they weren't being pelted by a thousand grains of sand all at once.

They reached the small storehouse a few grueling seconds later. The building was really nothing more than a box-shaped dome made of sandstone. It was smaller even than the hovel he lived in. Not that it mattered as they pushed their way inside. It was shelter. They collapsed as soon as the door was securely shut behind them, wheezing for air, spitting out the sand that managed to find its way into their mouths and being thankful more of it hadn't gone down their throats.

"Here." Darsha pressed a canteen she produced from a crate into his hand. "This will help clear some of the dust and sand from your mouth and throat."

Obi-Wan took a sip of the slightly metallic tasting water. He had yet to get accustomed to how the water smelled strongly of dust and purification chemicals. Even though they filtered the water, there were still bits of sand and other things he didn't want to think about in it. Still, it wet his parched throat and he was grateful for it. He took another sip before passing it back.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Obi-Wan looked around the storehouse. Adobe walls, whitewashed and scrubbed, glimmered softly in the electric glow from light fixtures in the ceiling. They were in the main room of the structure, a smallish space dominated by boxes piled high with bottles, mugs and other necessities needed to run a cantina. An opening at the back of the room led to an office dominated by a square desk and chair. Outside, the wind howled, shaving a fresh layer of skin from the storehouses exterior. Obi-Wan shuddered to think of what it would have done to them had they remained out there even a few moments longer.

"Is this where you work when you're not helping at the cantina?"

"Yes."

"It is much quieter here than at the cantina. Well," he lightly joked as something slammed against the wall behind his head. "Usually."

"You will get accustomed to sandstorms, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan kept his face carefully, neutrally blank, wanting to reveal nothing more than was necessary.  _She knows about Luke_ , he thought, gut clenching.  _She knows I came here with him_. What she planned to do with that information was unclear.  _I must find out what her intentions are_. If she meant Luke harm…

"You know who I am." His voice was calm, just a bit detached. "You know I am a Jedi."

"I do." She reached out to set a hand on his knee. "And I promise that your secret is safe with me."

"When?" He asked. "When did you learn who I was?"

"I knew who you were when I approached you on Nar Shaddaa."

"But I don't understand." He shook his head. "How could you have known?"

"Because I remember when you came to Tatooine with your Master, Qui-Gon."

Obi-Wan felt a memory tickling the back of his mind. He had visited Tatooine only three times in his life: once with Qui-Gon to help negotiate the return of water rights to the moisture farmers, again when they landed outside Mos Espa to make repairs to the ship they were traveling with Queen Amidala and her handmaidens to Coruscant on, and now. The negotiation with the Hutts was one of the first missions he and Qui-Gon went on together. He had been intent on pleasing his Master and showing him that he hadn't made a mistake in taking him as his Padawan and not paid attention to much else.

"I'm afraid I do not remember meeting you," he admitted with a small grimace. "I was focused on helping Master Qui-Gon with our mission and did not memorize any of the names or faces I met while here."

"It's not important that you remember me," she assured him as she picked up a box and explored its contents. "It was a long time ago. We both have changed since then."

Obi-Wan took the piece of jerked dewback meat she offered him.

"You have already risked much to help me," he said. "I do not know how I can ever repay you."

"Consider thus repayment for when you came here with your Master to return the water rights to the settlers."

"We simply negotiated the return of those rights to the moisture farmers."

"Yes." In the shadows, her amber eyes glowed, reminding Obi-Wan of the lava on Mustafar. Clearly, his being able to remember that much pleased her. "But the Hutts are not the easiest to deal with and often double-cross those who negotiate with them. You and your Master managed to successfully negotiate a deal that did not end in the death of all the farmers."

Obi-Wan remembered things going a bit differently than she did.

"Master Qui-Gon was deeply disturbed following that mission," he told her somberly. "He felt we failed in our duty to negotiate a peaceful end to the hostilities between the Hutts and the settlers."

"But... I don't understand." Her brow puckered. "You were successful in getting their water rights back."

"Yes, but the negotiations still culminated in the death of two of the moisture farmers."

"Their deaths weren't your fault."

"Master Qui-Gon believed they were."

"Well, it wasn't," she insisted as she offered him another piece of the jerked meat. Obi-Wan declined it with a wave of his hand. "Dieger and Tonks caused their own deaths by not trusting you and your Master to handle the negotiations with the Hutts."

"Perhaps," he allowed. "But Master Qui-Gon still refused to handle negotiations for a long time after that mission because of his feelings of having failed to negotiate a peaceful end to the situation."

Only distantly did he allow himself to think about the next time he and Qui-Gon got dispatched to negotiate a peaceful end to a situation. That time had culminated in his Master being killed by the Sith apprentice, Darth Maul.

"He shouldn't have blamed himself for what happened to Dieger and Tonks. They made their choice. It was them who decided to not wait for you and your Master to return from your meeting with the Hutts. They were the ones who chose to interrupt the meeting and demand the water rights be returned. They knew what would happen."

"That may be so," Obi-Wan began but she cut him off.

"It is so." She brushed a lock of hair from her face. "You are not responsible for their choices. No more than you are responsible for the Galactic Senate being disbanded and the Chancellor naming himself as Emperor. Those are his choices and he will answer for them in this lifetime or the next."

Obi-Wan felt the ends of his mouth curl.

"You sound like my former Master now."

"Then your Master was a wise man."

"Yes," Obi-Wan agreed, nodding. "He was."

"And would he say you could not control what happened?"

"He would say that what happened was the will of the Force," he admitted wryly. "But I do not agree."

"Why do you disagree?"

"I believe there was more the Jedi could have done to have avoided all that has happened."

"Perhaps." Her shoulders lifted into a faint shrug. "Or perhaps it would have resulted in even more deaths, and the dissolution of the Jedi Order and the Senate all the sooner."

Obi-Wan ran a hand over the thick whiskers that covered the lower half of his face as he pondered her simple words. They were honest and wise.  _It is what Master Qui-Gon would have said if he was here._

"You look quite distinguished with the beard." Her lips curved at the corners. "It works well with the seriousness of your eyes."

"My eyes are serious?"

"Very much." A playful smile teased out dimples in her cheeks. "Even more than they were when you first came to Tatooine."

Her gentle teasing eased the tension inside of him. For a minute, he felt like the Obi-Wan of old. More carefree. Able to laugh and joke. Not weighed down by so many regrets or feelings of failure.

"I am told I was quite stuffy back then."

"Oh, you still are quite stuffy." She brushed some sand from his hair. "It just goes with your being a great Jedi Master."

"I am far from a great Jedi Master."

"Piffle."

Obi-Wan found himself amused at her staunch refusal to accept he wasn't a great Jedi Master.

"I am by no means as great a Jedi as Master Yoda."

"You're a great Jedi in your own way."

Obi-Wan didn't bother to confirm or deny that statement. Instead, he asked, "How long do you think we will be here?"

"Could be a few hours or a few days."

Obi-Wan blinked. "A few  _hours_ or a few  _days_?"

"Sandstorms are very unpredictable and quite dangerous for that precise reason." She pulled a deck of cards from one of her pockets. "Since we will likely be here for a while, can I interest you in a game of Sabacc?"

"I'm afraid I do not know how to play."

Her eyes gleamed with a mixture of mischief and delight.

"Oh, I can teach you, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan gulped as he thought,  _I have a bad feeling about this._


	7. Chapter 7

The sandstorm finally was finally losing strength. At least, it  _seemed_  like it was. All Obi-Wan knew was that the howl of the wind was no longer so constant that he had to struggle not to hear it. Even the particles of sand that had crept in through the cracks and crevices in the walls were coming with much less frequency. Darsha swept the shop floor with a broom she retrieved from a cabinet. It was, he suspected, as much out of necessity as it was a way of keeping busy while the storm continued to pummel the planet. When Darsha intimated they could be here for hours or days, he thought she had been joking. Clearly, she hadn't been.  _Unfortunately_ , he added with a slight sigh.

By his estimation, they had been here for a full day. How much longer they could be here was anybody's guess. The sand piled up outside the window prevented him from accurately determining how intense the storm still was. A reach into the Force that afternoon let him know Luke was safe. Knowing he and the Larses made it home before the worst of the storm hit brought him a measure of comfort and relief. He couldn't get to Luke if something happened. Not so long as the storm continued. So long as the storm continued there was little possibility of anything happening that would need him getting involved.

There was also no possibility of bounty hunters like Cad Bane or Fong Do discovering  _his_  presence here on Tatooine while the storm continued to blow.  _And if they cannot find me here_ , he thought as he made himself more comfortable on the floor,  _then they cannot find Luke_. As long as the sandstorm raged, Luke was safe. Safe and secure in the underground dwelling his uncle protected to the best his ability. For now, he could relax. A partial smile teased at his lips as the irony of  _him_  relaxing washed over him.  _I haven't relaxed since before the Clone Wars_.

Part of that he attributed to the woman he was waiting out the storm with. Obi-Wan looked over at Darsha. His worries and fears slipped away as he watched her moving about the room. Her hair was free of the braid she typically kept it in and curled down her back to her waist in springy curls that twitched like a Twi'lek's lekku. The dark, rich shade contrasted with the creaminess of her skin and turned her eyes from a rich shade of amber to a burning shade of gold.

He had met many lovely women in his lifetime: Padmé, Satine, Siri, Master Docent Vant. Yet there was something about Darsha that set her apart from those women. It was her kindness and compassion, he realized. Her gentle humor and sharp intellect. Her fierce loyalty and unwavering support. It was just...  _her_.

They had taken refuge in this storehouse out of necessity. However, being with her felt like the most natural thing in the world.  _I feel like I have known her for longer than a few months._ She started to quietly hum as she put away the remnants of their dinner. Obi-Wan found himself comfortable, content, more at ease than he had in a great long while. He had yet to question her about the possibility of her being Force-sensitive. Now, while things were quiet would be the perfect time for them to have such a discussion. Yet, he hesitated. Why, he didn't know.  _Perhaps_ , he reasoned as he watched her move about the room,  _my hesitancy is more from fear of losing that bit of a connection than it is finding out the answer._

It had been months since he felt another living being in the Force. Was he so starved for that bond that he was unwilling to find out if one really existed or not? Another part of him wondered if the reason for why he didn't ask her about the possibility of her having Force sensitivities was because he feared becoming too attached if she did. Attachments were strictly forbidden by the Order. While the Jedi Council would not have frowned upon his being friends with Darsha, they would have strongly cautioned him about developing any sort of attachment to her.

Even now, the Jedi code played through his mind. Jedi should not know fear, anger or hatred. They didn't fixate on their mistakes or the past. All things were the will of the Force. Knowledge was power, harmony prevented chaos, revenge was unacceptable, killing an unarmed person was dishonorable, and death but the shifting of one existence to the next.

The one rule, the most important of all, and the one enforced even more strongly than the rest, a Jedi should not know love. Love led to attachment. Attachments prevented one from letting go. Anakin was living proof of why such a rule existed. Twice in his own life, he allowed himself to love. Once when he was young and inexperienced, and again when he was older and more knowledgeable about matters of the heart. Only once had he been tempted to leave the Order. Duty prevailed.  _If Satine had ever asked though..._ he let the thought drift away. There was no use in thinking of the what-ifs.

Satine was gone.

Same as Siri.

Same as Padmé.

Same as all the others.

Darsha wasn't gone, though. Only, there was no Order and no Council to object to his forming a friendship with her. Nor was Darth Maul still seeking vengeance on him. Obi-Wan grimaced. At least, he  _hoped_  the Sith Lord wasn't searching for him with any intent to make him pay for what happened all those years ago on Naboo. Maul was one menace he didn't want to have to deal with at this moment.  _So, why do you not ask her if she is Force sensitive_?

Obi-Wan frowned as he puzzled over his hesitation. It was true he wanted nothing to spoil the connection they shared. However, if he was being honest, then he'd admit the true reason for not inquiring about her possibly being Force-sensitive was because of his sworn duty to Luke. Protecting Luke came first. It was his first and only objective. Next came the training he was to receive from his former Master.  _Whenever it is that I will receive that training,_ he thought bitterly.

There was no room in his life for friendships. For whim and fantasy. For anything but duty and obligation. Obi-Wan told himself it didn't matter. He had a vow to fulfill. Yet he couldn't deny a part of him wasn't tired of being alone and hunted. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder. He wanted to live quietly and in relative peace.

He wanted to receive the training promised him by Master Yoda. He wanted to watch Luke reach adulthood and have a hand in helping him prepare for his destiny.  _I want more than to simply exist_. The relief that went through him at his silent admission was absolutely astounding. He felt...  _freer_. Lighter in some ways. As if admitting he wanted more than to simply exist removed a bit of the weight from his shoulders.

The realization sent a bolt of electricity through him. For a moment, he felt much younger than his forty years, so free of care, of guilt and grief, of responsibility. For a moment he was just Ben Kenobi, a displaced traveler who came to this planet with a newborn baby he gave into the care of the Lars family as he sought to establish a homestead of his own. That was absurd, of course. He was none of those things. He was Obi-Wan Kenobi, former General of the Republic and Jedi Master. Guardian of one half of the hope the galaxy had. There could be nothing else.

"And what has you looking as if you've been hit by a bolt of lightning?"

"Nothing." Obi-Wan lifted his eyes to Darsha's amused ones. "Just something I realized is all."

"Tell me."

Obi-Wan chose to change the subject, instead.

"It seems like the storm is lessening in intensity." He looked to the murky world outside the window. "Think it may stop soon?"

"That." She made a soft, speculative sound as she glanced at the window. "Or it could just be a lull in the storm."

Obi-Wan sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"Life on Tatooine is harsh, desolate, unforgiving." Her lips curved. "Only the hardiest of people are able to live here."

Her words were simple; honest. He appreciated her truthfulness even if the words brought him no comfort.

"Have you lived on Tatooine your entire life?"

"Not my entire life, no." She took a seat beside him. "I was born on Coruscant, actually."

One eyebrow feathered up at discovering that.

"You were born on Coruscant?"

"Mhm." She nodded. "I lived there until I was two. Then I came to live with my uncle here on Tatooine."

_Two_. More than old enough for the Council to have found out about and tested. Once her sensitivity to the Force got confirmed, she'd have been brought into the Order as an initiate.  _So, why wasn't she brought into the Order_? A frown creased his brow.  _Or was she tested, and they chose not to train her_?

"And you've lived here ever since?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "Until I left Tatooine with my husband."

"You were married?"

"I was, yes."

He wasn't sure why learning that shocked him. Normal people married, had children, lives. Not everyone was bound by the same edicts as he was.  _Even Anakin chose to defy the Order._ If he hadn't though, he realized, Luke and Leia wouldn't exist _. Their births are the best thing to have come from everything that happened._

"Jedi were not allowed to get married," he murmured. "Attachment was forbidden."

"Attachments can lead us down a dark and dangerous path."

Obi-Wan immediately thought of Anakin.  _If only he let go of his attachments, of his fears_ , he thought with a trace of the familiar bitterness and anger.  _The galaxy wouldn't be engulfed in darkness. The Jedi Order wouldn't be in ruins. Padméand so many others wouldn't be dead_.

"Attachments are forbidden for good reason," he finally admitted in a gruff voice. "If one cannot reconcile loss and accept it as part of life it can fester inside them"

"Have you ever thought about it?"

"Have I ever thought about forming attachments?" His lips kicked up at the corners. "I have formed attachments. I am only human."

Only silently did he add,  _unlike my former Padawan, I reconciled my attachments and accepted their deaths as part of life_.

"I meant have you ever thought about getting married." Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled. "Having a family of little Jedi."

It was something he thought about once. With Satine. However, those days were long over.

"I am a Jedi..."

"Yes, you are. And we've already established you're a good one. But," she said even as he hummed a small sound deep in his throat that was half amusement and half denial. "You're also not a Jedi. Not right now, anyway."

"Not a Jedi?" One eyebrow lifted. "How am I not a Jedi?"

"Ben." Her smile was small, strained. "You wouldn't be on a remote planet like Tatooine, pretending to be a widower with an infant son if being a Jedi wasn't considered a crime of the highest order by the Empire."

Obi-Wan could do nothing more than nod. What did he need to say? That she was right? They both knew she was.

"So." She placed a hand on his. Immediately, there was that snap of electricity that always sprang to life when their skin came into contact. "While you're still a Jedi, you're not. Not now, and I suspect not for a long time to come."

"I am still a Jedi where it counts," he told her. "Inside."

"Not on Tatooine," she refuted gently. "Here, you're just Ben."

He allowed her words to play through his mind for several moments. She had a point, he realized. He wasn't a Jedi here. He was simply Ben. A man looking to try his hand at moisture farming. Who scavenged like the Jawas in the JundlandWastes for scraps of metal and other items he could sell or trade. The times when he could act like a Jedi were few and far between. It has been months since he used his lightsaber. The only reason he still wore it clipped to his belt was that he'd feel naked without it.

"Are you content to live a lonely existence?" He heard her ask. "Do you wish to return to your homestead, live with your memories and your obligations, only coming into town occasionally, for the rest of your life? Or would you prefer to go on with your life? Have a wife and family, friends, some happiness?" Her fingers slid between his. "Don't you want to do more than simply exist?"

Her question caught him off guard. For a moment, he could only gaze at her.  _How did she know I was contemplating that myself a few moments ago_? He really shouldn't be surprised, though. Her level of perception was astounding. Yet, he found himself completely taken aback by how easily she discerned his thoughts. Before he could stop himself, he asked the question that had plagued him for so many hours.

"Are you Force-sensitive?"

A plethora of things he couldn't identify swam across her face before she ducked her head. His question clearly had caught her off-guard. There was little doubt about that. More than she would admit if he pressed her about it. Was it possible she didn't know she was Force-sensitive?  _Maybe the reason her family sent her to live with her uncle when she was so young was they didn't want her trained as a Jedi._  It was possible. Many children were tested but not all got brought into the Order and trained.

"Darsha?" He gentled his tone. "Are you Force-sensitive?"

"Perhaps." Obi-Wan saw the vulnerability in the eyes she turned to him and wondered at it. "Would it matter if I am or not?"

"No, of course, it wouldn't matter."

Even as he said it, he knew it wasn't the complete truth. It  _did_  matter. More than as an explanation for the connection between them, it was also another glimmer of hope. It meant there were possibly others out there who the Order rejected or never found. Others who could help the Order rebuild once balance got restored.

"My mother never told me if I was or wasn't Force-sensitive," she finally said slowly. "But I always knew I was." Her fingers trembled upon his. "I could see things before they happened. I felt things differently than others. Sometimes..." A frown creased her brow. "Sometimes it felt as if something was talking to me."

"That would have been the Force."

She opened her mouth to say something, but the storehouse became suddenly, eerily quiet. The silence rang in his ears, loudly and painfully. Obi-Wan glanced at the window but saw nothing but the same darkness that had been outside for hours.

"What is that sound?"

"There is no sound," she said softly. "That is what you are hearing. Silence. The sandstorm has stopped."

_The sandstorm has stopped_ , he thought as he stared at Darsha.  _That means one thing_.

The world was back.

And so were his duties and obligations.


	8. Chapter 8

Dusk came early on this two-sun planet. The orange orb always disappeared into the sands swimming along the horizon first. It was then followed, at a much more rapid pace by a second, paler orb. The baking heat that engulfed the planet during the long daylight hours gave way to long shadows that painted the surrounding mountains in deep shades of gray. With the oncoming night came a creeping sort of coldness that slid beneath robes and blankets to chill bones.

For Obi-Wan, it was the signal that another day had officially come to an end.

Soon another would begin.

It was an infinite circle. A blind wheel that kept on turning. No deviations, no altering of the course, nothing to separate one day from all the rest. It wasn't the existence Obi-Wan wanted or much-anticipated living at this stage of his life, but it was the one he chose.

His exile was his penance for the multitude of failures and mistakes he made as a Jedi, a brother, a friend.

 _A man_.

Obi-Wan ducked his head as he exited his small dwelling. A glance at the red-violet sky said it was time to make his nightly trek through the harsh, unforgivable and treacherous landscape of the Jundland Wastes. Time to lurk above a moisture farm and watch a small baby with the hope of the galaxy resting on his tiny back crawl around, gurgling and laughing happily, completely oblivious to the momentous task waiting for him when he reached manhood. Time to reassure himself that all was well, Luke was loved and well-cared for, and that he wanted for nothing. He was only content when he could see for himself that one more day had passed without the infant being discovered by either the Emperor or, worse yet, his newest minion, Darth Vader.

He made sure the door of his dwelling was secure behind him as he made ready to leave on his short journey. The Sand People were wary of him, but that did not mean they weren't out there, watching and waiting for the moment that he made a mistake that they could exploit. Nobody was truly safe from their savagery. Their foraging raids had become more frequent as of late. Last time he was in Anchorhead he heard they attacked a small farm not far from the Larses. None of the people were left alive. Obi-Wan felt a small hitch of regret for their deaths. Exiled he might be physically, but his instincts to serve and protect were not. Had he known the farm was under attack he would have gone and done… well, something.

 _Qui-Gon would say that once one became a Jedi, they are always a Jedi._ A rueful grin crossed his features as he drew the hood of his robe up over his head. Whether or not that was true, he didn't know. It wasn't that he doubted his former Master or his logic. Many of those who left the Jedi Order still possessed the hearts of a Jedi. They just no longer agreed with the Council about how the Order chose to do certain things or decided their use was best elsewhere. Then there were others, like Count Dooku and his own former Padawan who turned on the Order for their own altruistic purposes.

They made Obi-Wan question whether Qui-Gon's words applied to everyone. Was the heart of a Jedi still inside Vader? Could he possibly be led back from the dark side? Obi-Wan didn't know. For the moment he set his thoughts and feelings aside — not away, for that was beyond him — and focused on his trek to the Larses.

His skills as a Jedi would serve him well tonight.  _Be mindful of the living Force, Obi-Wan._  It was the other phrase that Qui-Gon tended to say to him. It was a lesson Obi-Wan struggled with learning while a Padawan. It was one of the biggest differences between him and Anakin. His Padawan felt the Force in the same way others felt the warmth of the sun or the coolness of water. It flowed through him like air in a ventilation shaft.  _Perhaps his connection to the Force is what made him so susceptible to Palpatine's manipulations_.

Obi-Wan pondered that as he turned away from his small dwelling and set off into the desert. His home, compared to many others in the region was small and simple. The previous owner had left it in a rather sad state of disrepair. Obi-Wan believed they were a transient looking to start a moisture farm. Once they realized how harsh and demanding the life would be for them and their family they packed up and left.

Darsha was correct when she said only the hardiest and most stalwart people survived life on Tatooine. He discovered for himself how inhospitable and cruel the planet could be. His first few months on the planet were far from pleasant. The credits Bail had given him were dwindling. Food, supplies, and shelter were a concern he never had to worry about. He quickly learned that connections were how people got by on Tatooine.

Trading was the key to survival on this outer rim planet. Shelter, though? Well, that took him a little more time to work out. His first novel had more than suited his purposes. Until his conversation with Owen revealed how much danger he was placing Luke in by living so close.

When he stumbled upon his new dwelling, he was mildly surprised to find it reasonably clean and comfortable enough for his needs. Not that he cared much about his comfort. Cleaning and repairing the hovel gave him something to do. It made the time waiting for Master Qui-Gon to finally come to him and begin training him as Master Yoda told him he would go by faster. Having something physically to do helped settle and soothe him.

There was peace in sweeping the drifts of sand that blew in during the frequent windstorms. He found a simple joy in managing to repair the moisture vaporator, as well as in fashioning a heating system, and sealing up the cracks in the walls and doors that let in kreetles, sandsnakes, and doop bugs.

Owen and Beru knew he still lived nearby and that he came often to check upon the infant he entrusted into their care. His friendship with them — if one wanted to call it that — was an uneasy one. Naturally, they were protective of Luke. They would not want him to end up in the hands of slavers, Hutts or worse yet, the Sand People. Of course, Owen also made it clear that they didn't want Luke growing up like Anakin.

 _And who could blame him for not wanting that to happen_? Obi-Wan thought as he trudged through the sand. It was the last thing he wanted to see happen, too. Luke didn't need to end up the twisted monster his father was. Neither did he need to end up like himself, a Jedi turned into an old man almost overnight. A Jedi weighed down by sorrow and guilt. A Jedi lost and confused. Was there anything left inside him?

He found himself wondering about that as he meditated on his meditation mats, while lying upon his sleeping couch, and even as he made his foray to the farm where his young charge lived. How could he feel so numb and yet be so full of pain? Master Qui-Gon would admonish him for his thoughts and tell him the ability to feel didn't make him less of a Jedi.

 _"_ _It makes you human, Obi-Wan."_

Obi-Wan wondered if he would ever hear from Master Qui-Gon again. It had been over a month since he last heard his former master speak to him. Even then, Qui-Gon's message had only been about how he wasn't ready to start the training. How was he not ready to begin? Didn't Qui-Gon see that training might bring him some measure of peace and serenity? Didn't he realize it would help him channel this mind-numbing pain, copious amounts of guilt, and soul-deep grief into something useful?

It was difficult not to feel resentment, abandonment, even anger at his former master. He struggled with those emotions, as well as all the others, attacking him on an almost daily basis. Part of Obi-Wan, a dark and terrible part he grew more fearful of with every passing day, wondered why he shouldn't feel as he did. It was Qui-Gon who charged him with training Anakin. There, on the edge of that plasma-fueled generator core in Theed, as Qui-Gon lay dying in his arms, he made a promise to take Anakin under his guidance and train him as Qui-Gon had him.

He never once stopped to consider the weight of the request being made of him. He didn't think about the fact that he had not been granted the rank of Jedi Knight. Or that he wasn't especially ready to take on the task of training a Padawan. He only agreed to become the teacher of a boy he had not especially trusted or liked upon first meeting because it was Qui-Gon who made the request of him.

That was what brought him the most pain. Thoughts of Anakin. The boy Qui-Gon discovered on this very planet. The one he believed would bring balance to the Force. The one he defied the Jedi Council and said he would take as his Padawandespite still serving as his Master. Anakin, the boy he grew to love like a brother, treated like a son.

Now, a traitor.

Killer.

 _Monster_.

Anakin's conversion to the dark side was a testament to his own shortcomings as a teacher. As a friend. As a  _brother_. He was the one who failed to guide his apprentice down the right path. He was the one who had not proceeded as slowly or cautiously as Master Yoda advised. Same as he, much like the members of the Jedi Council failed to take the wise Jedi Master's initial concerns about them even training Anakin to heart.

 _"_ _A mistake to train him, it is,"_ Master Yoda said in that small room inside the Theed temple.  _"Clouded, this boy's future. Grave concerns do I have."_

Those concerns had not lessened in the years following Anakin's becoming his Padawan. Master Yoda continued to caution, to advise that all was not right with his Padawan. Even Ferus tried to warn him about how dangerous Anakin was becoming. He ignored them all. Only now could he admit it was because he hadn't wanted to see or believe those things. He believed Qui-Gon when he said Anakin would bring balance to the Force. He saw the great potential there was in Anakin. He believed he would become a great Jedi Master.

 _A Jedi does not cling to the past_.

It was one of the first things Qui-Gon taught him after taking him as his Padawan. A Jedi did not allow one moment to influence their present thoughts or actions. They did not fixate upon their mistakes. They accepted all things as the will of the Force. Knowledge was power, harmony prevented chaos, revenge was unacceptable, killing an unarmed person was dishonorable, and death but the shifting of one existence to the next.

Obi-Wan knew all this, same as he knew that to have lived his life without having been Anakin's friend and mentor would have turned him into a much different man than he became. He could have become a lesser man, one content to accept things as they were and never questioned or wondered if something more might be the cause of whatever situation had arisen.

He might not have managed to help as many as he did.

Anakin taught him so much about not only himself but the Force, as well. He could even admit now, without pain or regret that he saw much of Qui-Gon in Anakin. Anakin mirrored Qui-Gon's flair for the dramatic, and his casual disregard for the Council's rules and edicts. At times it had felt like having his former master back with him. Training Anakin, fighting beside him, it unlocked things inside of him he otherwise wouldn't have known existed.

Anakin's zest for life, his courageous spirit, and deep, abiding desire to help those who needed it all rubbed off on him. Anakin even managed to get him to let go of his incessant need for everything being absolutely correct.  _Qui-Gon would have been impressed with that_ , he thought, a faint smile touching his lips.

Ultimately, what Obi-Wan Kenobi learned during those years was how to relax. He smiled, he joked, he even allowed himself to find the little joys in life. He cultivated that sort of wisdom that only gentle humor could provide. Anakin helped to mold him into the type of Jedi that Qui-Gon told him he would one day be. Being named to the Jedi Council at a relatively young age came as a complete surprise. Looking back, he was still astonished by the faith the Council placed in him, in his skills, and abilities. Greatness was never his ambition, though. He only wanted to serve the galaxy to the best of his ability. He still only wanted to help in any way that he could.

It had amused him when Anakin complained about how the other Padawans thought of him as a hero. He didn't ask for them to see him as such. No more than he requested that the other Masters hold him up as the example of what an exemplary Jedi looked like. He even waved aside Anakin's complaints about his always being the one the Council sent on their most important missions as being the frustrations of youth. He wasn't the greatest Jedi in his mind. He was the best friend, the brother of the man he felt would eventually become the best Jedi of all time.

As Qui-Gon suggested when he urged Obi-Wan to train him.

That blindness ultimately was what prevented him from seeing how much Anakin was struggling in the days leading up to their confrontation. He hadn't realized how much control Palpatine actually wielded over him or how much resentment and jealousy that was festering inside of Anakin. He hadn't seen how much Anakin needed him to stay on Coruscant, to help him navigate the fire he was slowly being consumed by. Perhaps if he had then the promising young Jedi named AnakinSkywalker would not have died on the black shores of Mustafar.

_And the Sith Lord, Darth Vader would not have been born in his place._

The Lars homestead loomed ahead and quieted his wayward thoughts. Obi-Wan made sure that Owen Lars was not out patrolling the homestead before he took the final steps that would take him to the edge of a cliff that would let him have an unobstructed view of everything below. It was a little past dark now, the twin suns having melted into the horizon. The Larses always made sure they were safely inside before night fully took over the planet.

The Sand People couldn't easily attack them in their below-ground compound.  _And I can't interfere in Luke's life and ruin it as I did Anakin's_. He inched forward on his hands and knees, feeling like the interloper Owen claimed he was, but needing to see for himself that the infant was safe. He laid flat upon the warm ground and looked over the rim into the courtyard below.

 _There!_ he thought as his gaze landed on the boy. There was Luke seated in the doorway of the small home and laughing, a sound that hurt to hear because of how much like Anakin's it was. He heard Beru's soft laughter join the infant's and felt a moments satisfaction at having given Luke's care over to the Larses wash over him. Not once was he tempted to smile at the infant's antics. Not once did he allow himself to feel more than a momentary contentment. He left smiles and laughter behind with Anakin on Mustafar. It was enough to feel content.

Owen emerged from the dwelling a second later, ruffling Luke's sandy-colored hair before heading off to activate the KPRperimeter droids. It was his signal to leave. Obi-Wan lingered for a moment more, however, watching as Beru came out to scoop up Luke and carry him inside the dwelling. He saw the light spilling out of the doorway, could almost feel the heat, the warmth.

Luke would live a hard life, but it would be a good life. He would grow up strong and safe. Finally, he turned away, feeling the chill on the exposed parts of his face, and deep within his heart. He melted into the growing darkness, a once proud guardian who felt more like a shadow than he did a man.


	9. Chapter 9

The following evening found Obi-Wan continuing the never-ending circle that made up the sum of his existence. Twice a month he made the long trek into Anchorhead to sell the bits of scrap he found in the desert and to replenish his meager supplies. He made the journey under the cover of darkness, using secret trails and pathways to hide his entry into the spaceport. While he was certain that nobody was watching him, he still took every precaution he could. The last thing he wanted was somebody figuring out that crazy old  _Ben_   _Kenobi_  was former Jedi Master  _Obi-Wan_ _Kenobi_.

While in the spaceport, he always paid a visit to Darsha at her uncle's cantina. It was as much companionship as he allowed himself. However, he had a secondary purpose for dropping in to say hello. Many space pilots tended to congregate in the cantina to greedily dine on juicy gossip and hot rumors as much as on bantha stew and copious amounts of ale. It was the best way for him to gather information. Obi-Wan may have chosen to exile himself here on this desert planet, but he had to stay informed. He had to know what was going on.

He needed to know where Vader was.

And what it was that he was doing.

Obi-Wan was completely convinced that Anakin Skywalker died on the shores of that volcano river. What remained was completely mired in the ways of the dark side. Obi-Wan knew this because he had found a data recorder containing a Holonet report in an alley the last time he was in the spaceport. On it was an image of Darth Vader as he walked beside Emperor Palpatine. It made him ill to see his former Padawan walking alongside the cloaked figure of Palpatine through the ruins of the Jedi Temple. Celebrating their destruction of the Order, and all those who would oppose them.

The only being in the galaxy who could understand the depths of his grief and guilt also lived in exile.  _Until the time is right_ , Master Yoda announced onboard Bail Organa's ship.  _Disappear we will_. Disappear he had. Even Master Qui-Gon had abandoned him. If he allowed himself to feel frustration or anger about his circumstances, he feared it would overtake him.

So, he made himself feel nothing.

"Here you are, a Jedi Master, and you have forgotten how to live in the moment." The voice was almost chiding. "Feel, don't think, Obi-Wan."

"Master Qui-Gon?"

"it is I, my Padawan."

Qui-Gon's voice seemed to come from the very shadows. Obi-Wan stopped in the middle of a dark alley. Was Qui-Gon finally coming to him after so many months of nothing? He didn't dare let himself hope.

"Hope is all that we have."

It was his Master. Even just the sound of his voice brought Qui-Gon's kind, rugged face to mind. It was a comfort after so many months of nothing. Obi-Wan ducked into a vacant building around the corner from the cantina. The derelict shelter was missing half its roof and had a huge, gaping hole in one wall but it would keep people from thinking he was conversing with himself.

"You're here," Obi-Wan said once he was sure he was alone. "I cannot believe you're here."

"I have always been here," Qui-Gon replied as the wind that stirred the sands beneath his boots. "You have never been alone, my Padawan. Any time that you choose it, I can come to you."

"But I have chosen."

"Have you?"

"Yes," he confirmed with a slight nod. "I want to begin the training. I am ready to begin the training."

"Not yet, you are not."

Obi-Wan frowned his bewilderment.

"I don't understand…"

"When you understand why you are not ready to begin the training will be when you are ready to begin it."

Frustration and annoyance simmered below Obi-Wan's skin and coated his voice when he replied.

"You sound like Master Yoda."

"I consider that comparison quite an honor," Qui-Gon said. "Now, what did I tell you about the Living Force?"

Obi-Wan heaved a small sigh, feeling like a Padawan who still had much to learn and not a seasoned Jedi Master who led Clone Troopers into many gritty and gruesome battles during the long years of the Clone Wars.

"That I should always be mindful of it, but not at the expense of the present."

"Very good." Pleasure coated Qui-Gon's voice. Obi-Wan could almost picture the slight smile on his lips and the twinkle in his eyes. "However, the Living Force also includes knowing yourself and your feelings. You must understand yourself before you can understand anything else."

"What is it that you're asking, Master?"

"Simply this, Obi-Wan… what are you feeling?"

The question brought him up short. There were many things he was feeling, really. The first word that came to mind was the one he immediately offered.

"Overwhelmed."

"That's a start."

"Confused."

"Try again."

"Lost."

"Keep going."

"Angry."

The amount of vehemence in his tone as that word shattered the silence horrified and appalled him. A Jedi should not know anger. It was one of the basic tenements. A Jedi should not know anger because anger was what led to fear. They should not know fear because fear led to hatred. They should not know love because attachment prevented one from letting go.

All were paths that led to the dark side.

It couldn't be helped, though. Memories flooded him. Years of missions, training sessions, of all the ways Qui-Gon helped him, guided him swept over him. That gentle support and wisdom were what he missed most following Qui-Gon's death. He could have used Qui-Gon's experience in dealing with a Padawan as challenging and demanding as Anakin often turned into. He could have used that quiet support when he wasn't certain that he was guiding Anakin the right way or instilling the proper values.

_Anakin might not have fallen had you trained him instead of me._

And that was his biggest regret of all. Obi-Wan's shoulders slumped and his head lowered as the weight of his failure settled on his shoulders.

"I have failed you, Master."

"The only failure is in never trying, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan shook his head.

"You charged me with training Anakin and-"

"And you have done so," Qui-Gon gently interjected. "What choices Anakin has made are his own, not yours. You completed the task I asked of you."

"Anakin turned to the dark side because I did not guide him as I should have."

"Anakin's turn to the dark side was the will of the Force," Qui-Gon patiently explained. "It had nothing to do with you."

"How can that be when you told me he was the chosen one?" Frustration and bitterness coated every word. "He was supposed to destroy the Sith, not join them. He was supposed to bring balance to the Force..." He swallowed the ache and pain. "But all he has done is left it in darkness."

"Anakin has brought balance to the Force."

"How?" Obi-Wan demanded. "All I see is chaos."

"Search your feelings, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon gently commanded. "What do they tell you?"

"I'm not sure…"

"Always two there are, a Master and an apprentice."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said slowly. "But I fail to see…"

"Balance requires two, Obi-Wan. There can be no light without darkness, no love without hatred, no happiness without sadness. Always two there must be for balance."

Suddenly, the answer that Qui-Gon was trying to get him to reach flooded into Obi-Wan.  _Luke and Leia. They are the balance._  It was not Anakin who would bring balance back to the Force, but his children. Relief swamped him. Certainty filled him. His mind became crystal clear. He understood  _why_  everything occurred.

"I understand now," he told Qui-Gon. "It is not Anakin's destiny to balance the Force, but his children's."

"While that is true," Qui-Gon said. "It's not the only truth."

Obi-Wan's brow knitted at that. "What other truth can there be?"

"Anakin's children are not the only ones with a destiny that must be fulfilled for balance to be restored."

"Who else has a destiny that must be fulfilled for there to be balance?"

"You do, my Padawan."

Obi-Wan's eyebrows shot up.

"I have a role to play in these events?"

"Follow your feelings, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon's voice seemed faint. "Trust your instincts."

"I will, Master Qui-Gon. I promise."

…

There was much more he wanted to say, and even more, he wanted to ask, but Qui-Gon's presence faded. Obi-Wan was left reeling from the conversation but felt he had a direction now, at least. His purpose was twofold: make sure that Luke grew to manhood and learned the ways of the Force, and fulfill whatever destiny awaited him. What that destiny could be, he did not know. He would do as Master Qui-Gon instructed, though and trust his instincts.

He finally made his way to the cantina. The hour was late, but hopefully, there would still be a few pilots milling who would have some news about the events going on in the galaxy. Customers emerged from the cantina, many of them staggering after imbibing too much wine or other spirits. Obi-Wan navigated his way through the surprisingly crowded cantina. He wore his hood low over his face and slipped into a seat at a table in a dark corner.

Thanks to a combination of bribes and some subtle mind manipulation, the bartender, a pudgy man with a pockmarked face, watched out for him, making sure the rowdier of the locals left him alone. Not that anyone bothered him after Owen Lars put out that he was just some half-crazy hermit who lived alone in the desert. He had no need for companionship, anyway.

He wanted no company.

Not when his goal was to get much-needed information.

Darsha set a drink on the table before quickly moving off to settle down a table of locals throwing out insults and threats in slightly slurred voices. One wrong word or gesture was all it would take to make sure a brawl would erupt. Obi-Wan had chosen his table for that exact reason. He had seen how quickly things could erupt into physical violence. A place like this didn't see any other entertainment. Fights tended to either attract clientele or chase them off.

One of the space pilots seated at a table near the rowdy crowd barked at the bunch to "simmer down." They instantly quieted.  _And well they should,_  Obi-Wan thought as he wrapped his fingers around his earthen mug. Toovey was a muscular, hairy Bothan known to take on any cargo, and all types of passengers, no questions asked. He also was an excellent source of information when he wasn't deep into a pitcher of ale.

Obi-Wan gathered the Force around him to help filter out the unnecessary noise. It was a Jedi technique that allowed him to focus on the conversations going on below the clinking of mugs and scrapping of utensils in bowls. He wanted to make sure they were not just doing the usual boasting and fabricating of truth and other such tales.

After a few moments, he pushed his drink away from him. There wasn't anything here worth listening too. Just the usual gossip and complaints about the Hutts and the travel restrictions placed upon traders and merchants by the Empire. None of that was important enough for him to stay here any longer. Obi-Wan slowly stood. The noise of the cantina swirled around him as he let the Force ease.

"… approached me and asked if I had seen some brown-cloaked man here in the cantina," one of the pilots said. "Claims the man is a former member of the Jedi Order. As if a Jedi would come to this rock to hide."

"Jedi are worth a lotta credits," someone who Obi-Wan couldn't see through the mass of bodies congregated around the table said. "Heard some are going for as much as thirty, thirty-five thousand credits easy."

"Yeah?" Toovey set his mug down on the table and lifted his dark eyes to the man who spoke. "And how much is this  _particular_  fella worth?"

The pilot, a lanky blonde fellow, hefted his mug before replying.

"Heard he's going for seventy-five thousand credits."

_Seventy-five thousand credits_ , Obi-Wan thought with a trickle of amazement. That was more credits than most people on any planet earned in a lifetime. It was enough to tempt anyone to turn in someone they suspected of being a Jedi.

"Who's willing to pay that much for a former Jedi?"

"The new lackey of the Emperor," was the gravelly reply. "The one the Holonet is calling  _Lord_  Vader."

There were a few guffaws and chuckles at that.

"And here I thought Palpatine calling himself our  _Emperor_  was dumb," one pilot, a Keshian Obi-Wan remembered being called Ooli muttered. He blinked his large, oddly colored eyes as he looked at the main speaker of the group. "This guy thinking he's some lord and not just another puppet shows us how dumb he is."

"They say Vader was once a Jedi." All eyes shifted to Toovey. "That he led the slaughter at the Jedi Temple and killed the seven Jedi on Kessel."

Even prepared as he was, hearing that still sent a jolt through Obi-Wan's body. It also confirmed his worst fear. If space pilots here in the Outer Rim were hearing about bounties on Jedi, then bounty hunters were, as well. Quite a few bounty hunters frequented this cantina as they passed through on their way to see Jabba the Hutt.

He surveyed the cantina without seeming to look, a Jedi technique. Nothing was amiss. There were no looks in his general direction. Nobody assumed crazy old Ben was the brown-cloaked man being sought.

Still, it was time to go. Obi-Wan made his way slowly out of the cantina. He had just made it out the door when a hand reached out to detain him. His hand went instinctively to his belt, to the hilt of his lightsaber, but the voice that spoke was one he immediately recognized as belonging to Darsha.

"Come with me," she whispered in a thin, reedy voice. "Now. Before the bounty hunter sees you."

_Bounty hunter_? Obi-Wan glanced to his left and spotted the helmeted figure making his way towards the cantina. His memory pricked at seeing the small figure. The way he carried himself reminded Obi-Wan of someone else. A bounty hunter he met on the planet of Kamino. He knew this bounty hunter, he realized, the blood chilling in his veins.

His helmet obscured his face, but Obi-Wan was positive about who was behind that visor. It was the face of every clone he fought beside during the Clone Wars. The green Mandalorian battle armor the hunter wore looked like a cruder version of the armor the bounty hunter, Jango Fett had worn. Only, this wasn't Jango. Jango was dead, killed by Mace Windu on the planet Geonosis over three years ago. This was Jango's son. A son, Obi-Wan remembered now that he was raising to become a bounty hunter.

A son he called Boba.

_Blast_ , he thought as Darsha tugged insistently at his sleeve. The bounty hunter could not see him. He would recognize him with ease. How could he not? He met Boba when the boy was living with Jango on the planet of Kamino. He could remember that chilling, dead-eyed stare the boy possessed, his cool demeanor, and quiet confidence. In the five minutes it took him to speak with Jango, the boy figured out the best way to defeat him should he decide to confront his father. Considering how he used the guns mounted on the spaceship his father flew, he certainly had uncovered the best way to stop him. Even Jedi were not able to counter canon fire.

Not for very long, anyway.

How old could he be now? A frown pulled at Obi-Wan's brow. He had been around ten, eleven when they met. That would make him thirteen, fourteen at the most now. Another pang of guilt joined the rest. Boba was yet another orphan created by the conflicts of this galaxy. He was a boy, but not a boy. Watching his father cut down and being left alone in the world grew him up, hardened him, made him a more than a formidable enemy. One he couldn't afford to face. Not out here in the open, anyway. To do so could bring Vader's attention to Tatooine.

_To Luke._

"Hurry!" Her fingers trembled on his arm. Her fear was very real, and extremely understandable. Those found harboring fugitives were not treated kindly or well by the Empire. "Anson and Toovey will detain the hunter! We must go!"

Obi-Wan barely made it five steps when the bartender, Anson, and Toovey came stumbling out into the street in a tangle of limbs. A chorus of cheers, bet calling, and taunts from the other patrons came pouring out of the cantina. The sounds of fists meeting flesh echoed off the sandstone buildings. Blood splattered across speeders, discarded droid parts, splashed across the sand and on the side of the cantina. Toovey let out a roar and tackled Anson, who crashed into the startled boy as he tried to make his way through the mob. Obi-Wan didn't stick around to see any of this, though.

He was gone before Boba even hit the ground.


	10. Chapter 10

Darsha led the way through the streets, her pace brisk, but not enough that it garnered any unwarranted attention. Not that those they passed seemed inclined to notice. They too were rushing to whatever their own destinations were. Even here the threat of the Sand People had everyone scurrying for cover once night fell.  _They attacked a settlement not far from here just a few days ago._

Her hand continued to clutch at his robe. As if she feared to lose him.  _Or_ , he thought as they paused to allow a speeder to pass by.  _She fears I will go back to break up the fight between Toovey and Anson_. Not that he planned on doing that. Not while Boba Fett was still lurking around the cantina. Obi-Wan was also wise enough to realize that Anson wouldn't have started a fight with Toovey — who he was on good terms with — if he didn't intend for it to help them slip away from the cantina without the bounty hunter seeing them.

If not for the severity of the situation, and the very real threat posed by Boba Fett's sudden arrival on Tatooine, he might have found himself amused at how he, a trained Jedi and former General of the Republic, was the one being rescued from certain calamity. As it was, what humor he felt got quashed by the need to find somewhere to hide.

Where they were going, he didn't know. He didn't recognize any of the buildings they passed. He trusted Darsha, however. Wherever she was taking him would be safe.  _I can figure out what to do once we are off the streets_. Boba Fett was a much different threat from Cadmus Bane and Fong Do. He wouldn't give up. He would continue to hunt him until he caught him.  _He could make the connection between me and the Larses_. It was what Owen predicted could happen when he told him to stop coming to their farm.

_I have placed Luke in grave danger_ , he thought as they reached the small section of the spaceport designated for those who chose to live in Anchorhead. The jumbled collection of hovels were stacked one on top of the other, reminding Obi-Wan of molehills. Each complex was linked by common walls and switchback stairways. The small plaza shared by those who lived in the small complexes was empty.

Darsha led him inside one domed dwelling and quickly shut the door behind them. Obi-Wan looked around as she rushed around, shutting and locking windows, making sure the door was secure. The domicile was small and quaint, its thick walls composed of a mixture of mud and sand that kept the inside cool during the heat of the day and warm when temperatures dropped at night. It boasted one central room, a small kitchen, and a bumpout for sleeping.

_It's not all that different from my dwelling_ , he realized with a small jolt. Why exactly it surprised him, he couldn't say. Many of the homes and buildings on Tatooine were similarly designed. He slowly wandered around, looking at the small figurines and things set on shelves and tables. They gave the place a sort-of homey, lived in feeling. It wasn't something Obi-Wan, accustomed to the more simple life of the Jedi as he was, ever experienced before.

"Please," Darsha said once she was sure everything was done. "Make yourself comfortable."

Obi-Wan didn't think getting comfortable was possible. Not with Boba Fett in the spaceport. He indicated the room with a sweep of his hand.

"You have brought me to your private residence?"

"I have, yes." One brow tilted. "Is there a problem with me having brought you here?"

"No," Obi-Wan quickly assured her. "Of course not."

"Are you uncomfortable being in my home?"

"Should I be?"

"No." Her smile caused his heart to beat in a way that Obi-Wan found strange and just a bit unsettling. He felt hot and cold at the same time, he realized. And his pulse was racing faster than a scurrier across the Jundland Wastes. It wasn't a sensation he overly liked. "But standing at the other end of the room makes me wonder if you're uncomfortable being in my home."

"I assure you that I am not uncomfortable in your home."

Even as he issued his denial, part of Obi-Wan wondered if there wasn't some small bit of it that was true. Was he uncomfortable being alone with her in her private dwelling? No, that was absurd. They had been alone while taking shelter from the sandstorm. However, he couldn't deny there was an uneasiness inside him at being alone with Darsha in her residence.

His being here seemed almost…  _improper_. Indecent even. He was being foolish. There was nothing inappropriate about his being here with her. It was exceptionally rude and ungrateful of him to act as he was when she had gone to a great amount of trouble to help him. Bringing him here placed her in grave danger. Should their connection ever be discovered by Fett or a member of the Empire, it could spell imprisonment, torture, and possibly even death for her.  _Something I cannot allow to happen_ , he thought as he watched her move about the room.  _I cannot allow her to get any more involved in this than she already is_.

"Why did you bring me here?"

She turned to look at him, a frown forming between her eyes.

"Because I thought it would be safer to come here to my home rather than risk trying to cross the Dune Sea to reach yours."

It was sound logic. However…

"You've taken a significant risk bringing me here."

She made a sound that was a cross between a snort and a harrumph. "Hardly."

"Should Boba Fett learn of your association with me..."

"I don't think the bounty hunter got enough of a look at either of us to make such a connection." She smiled to soften her harsh tone. "And even if he did, we locals tend to look after one another. He will find himself with a fight on his hands should he come here."

Obi-Wan didn't doubt that. He had seen the locals defend themselves quite admirably during one particularly brutal attack by the Tuskens. Their losses might have been severe, but they managed to turn the Tuskens back before they lost any more lives or goods. As vicious as the Tuskens could be, though, they were nothing compared to the superbly trained Boba Fett.

"How do you know who Boba Fett is?"

"I have heard his named spoken in the cantina a few times by some of the less savory clientele that tends to come through on their way to Mos Eisley." She frowned. "He's very young they say. Hardly a boy."

"He is extremely dangerous for a boy," he told her in all seriousness. "You would do well not to underestimate him."

"I won't."

He watched as she took her outer wrap off and hung it on a peg by the door. The sight of such a simple and homey act filled him with a strange sort of longing. He let it pass into the Force. Same as he had done with other emotions. Only this time he found no peace. If anything, the ache only intensified. Obi-Wan puzzled over that as she indicated a chair in the small area she used for dining.

"Please, sit. I will prepare us some tea."

"You don't have to trouble yourself on my account."

"It's no trouble," she assured him as she headed for the kitchen. "I think we both could use something to help settle our nerves after our narrow escape."

Obi-Wan couldn't deny that a cup of tea didn't sound wonderful at that moment. He took a seat at the table and watched as she puttered around her small kitchen, getting down a metal container from a shelf above a small workstation, pouring water into a chipped white pot, and adding what likely was H'Kak bean tea to the water once it was hot. His anxiety eased as he watched her.

"Perhaps you would like to play a few hands of Sabacc to pass the time."

She sent him a slow, easy smile as she set cups on the table followed by a plate filled with flatbread, sliced bristlemelon, and pallies. Again, his heart did something funny in his chest. There was something, a feeling he had not felt in a long-time coursing through him. He had not felt like this since...  _Satine_. No, he realized as he analyzed his feelings more closely. He felt…  _different_. Less conflicted about pursuing a friendship with her. More open to the possibility of there being something more than just friendship between them.

"Feeling more confident in your abilities to play, are we?"

Her teasing tone coaxed a smile out of him.

"I believe I have learned enough to win back my four driss pods."

She snorted a laugh.

"Very confident, aren't we, Master Jedi?"

"I had a good teacher show me how to play."

"Well, we'll see how well you've learned then, won't we?"

The Force warned him of incoming danger a second before the door blew open in a blast that sent them diving for cover. From around the side of the overturned table, Obi-Wan peered toward the doorway. A figure stood just inside the smoldering opening, an EE-3 carbine cradled rifle in their arms. He didn't need to see the helmet or the Mandalorian armor to know who the figure was.

It was Boba Fett.

He had found them.

_Blast_! He thought as Boba aimed the rifle at Darsha, who was crouching behind a chair. Obi-Wan didn't stop to think about what he was going to do. He knew what he had to do. What he needed to do. He leaped from cover and rushed at Boba, activating his lightsaber as he went. He used his lightsaber so rarely now that he felt a surge of feelings streak through him when he did. For a moment, he remembered what being a Jedi felt like. For months he had to hide who and what he was. His life became a routine of secrecy and caution. Of sacred oaths and duty.

Fett fired, but Obi-Wan deflected it with his lightsaber. He hazarded a look at Darsha, saw she had gained her feet but was standing there and looking at Boba with wide eyes.

"Get out of here!" He told her, his tone sharper than he intended. Apologies would have to come later. After they were both safe. "Go on, go!"

"I'm not going without you!"

"I will catch up!" He promised as Fett took aim again. "Now go!"

Fett fired, but Obi-Wan was again able to deflect it. He hadn't used his lightsaber in a long while. Yet it felt perfectly balanced in his hand. His movements were quick and graceful. He was able to spin and twist, to leap and whirl, his lightsaber always in a controlled arc of movement. He did not have to think about how to accomplish it. Everything came back naturally. He was fighting like a Jedi.

He felt like  _himself_  again.

The commotion had not gone unnoticed by the locals, many of whom who had been asleep in their beds. A brawl outside of a cantina was one thing. Fighting in a public setting like this was another. Suddenly, people armed with rifles swarmed out of their dwellings. Fett was their target, and they all aimed at him. The bounty hunter had his hands full as he turned to meet their assault. It was the perfect moment for Obi-Wan to make his escape.

"This way!" Darsha called to him. "Hurry!"

Obi-Wan saw she held a door hidden behind a wall tapestry open. He raced to it, knowing there was precious little time. Fett would be slowed down by the locals, but he would be after them soon enough. Darsha followed him after hitting a control panel on the wall. The door slid shut, leaving them standing in an empty courtyard.

"We have to get away from here and quickly."

"Where do we go, though?" Darsha turned wide, anxious eyes to him. "And how do we get there without the bounty hunter catching up to us?"

He was asking himself the same thing.  _Well, Qui-Gon always said that if a way doesn't present itself that one must make their own way_.

"We need to go to one of the other spaceports."

"There are transports at the…"

"No." Obi-Wan shook his head and sighed. "The spaceport here is where he will look for us first."

"We will need a speeder if we want to reach any of the other spaceports," she pointed out as she tugged a wrap from a clothesline and draped it over her head. "Or some sort of taxi."

Obi-Wan had an idea of just where they could find a taxi, too.

"Follow me," he said. "I believe I have the perfect solution."

They moved through the streets at a rapid pace. Obi-Wan occasionally glanced behind them to make sure that Boba wasn't hot in pursuit. So far, he wasn't. It was only a matter of time before he would be, though.  _I must get him away from here_ , he thought as he headed to the edge of town.  _I must make sure he never discovers my connection to the Larses or Luke._

The Jawa sandcrawler came into view as they rounded a building. The mammoth vehicle sat just a few kilometers outside of the spaceport. Jawas scurried back and forth as they made ready to leave Anchorhead. If they followed their usual pattern, then they would be heading for either Mos Espa or Mos Eisley. Either spaceport would allow them to find cover as they figured out what to do next.

"Ah," Obi-Wan said, casting a wry smile at Darsha. "We are in luck."

"We are?"

Obi-Wan waved towards the sandcrawler with a smile.

"Our taxi is still waiting for us."

Darsha first looked dubiously at the sandcrawler and then him.

"You want to have the Jawas transport us to one of the other spaceports?" One eyebrow arched. "Is that wise?"

"It will provide us with cover and get us there quickly and in reasonable comfort."

"Won't Fett think to check them for passengers?"

"We can only hope he will be too fixated on reaching the other spaceports before we do to check."

The Jawas were moving fast. Obi-Wan imagined they were eager to leave for their next destination. Trading and scavenging was their way of life. It was how they obtained the things they couldn't get otherwise. The sandcrawler started to make its way into the desert. Reaching out with the Force, he visualized the chief Jawa on board the sandcrawler, and then projected a thought to him:  _You should stop to pick up your passengers._

The sandcrawler instantly rumbled to a stop, and several Jawas scurried out to hail them. Obi-Wan and Darsha quickly made their way over to where they waited. Many chittered apologies for not having waited for them, but Obi-Wan soothed their fears with a gentle smile and kind word.

"You thought I chose to stay in Anchorhead," he told them with a subtle wave of his hand. They jabbered back they thought he was remaining in Anchorhead. "We should leave now so that you are not late in getting to your next destination."

They nodded their heads and indicated for him and Darsha to climb aboard.

"Subtle," Darsha whispered once they got seated comfortably inside the sandcrawler. "Very subtle."

A slight smile curved his lips. "I thought a little persuasion was in order."

Darsha made a soft sound and smiled at a few of the younger Jawas who were staring at her with great interest. "Well, hello there."

They chattered happily back at her as the sandcrawler pulled away from Anchorhead. When the sandcrawler changed course and headed for Mos Espa instead of Mos Eisley, most of the Jawas were baffled, but the chief Jawa insisted that it would be their pleasure to take Ben and his friend to Mos Espa, instead.


	11. Chapter 11

Obi-Wan was seated at a table at the back of  _Chalmun's Cantina_ a few days later _._  He knew he shouldn't have stopped in here, not with Darsha anxiously waiting for him back in the dingy room they had taken at the Mos Eisley Inn, but he needed to make sure that Luke was still safe. If Fett managed to figure out why he was on Tatooine, if he learned how valuable Luke's existence was, everything he and Master Yoda had done would be for naught.

He heard nothing to suggest that the Empire was on their way to Tatooine. Of Fett's whereabouts, there was no word. That didn't mean he wasn't still on their trail. Fett managed to track them to Mos Espa much to Obi-Wan's dismay and Darsha's amusement. He managed to get there before the sandcrawler. Things looked bleak until a junk trader Darsha knew passed by on his way to Mos Eisley. She had hailed the man and beseeched him to give them a ride. The man agreed without qualm or question. He even refused to take what few credits they had, asking instead for a promissory note that guaranteed him one drink when he passed through Anchorhead.

Darsha promised him free drinks for the rest of his life.

They made it to Mos Eisley without any sign of Fett. However, Obi-Wan knew that could change at any moment. The conversation turned to a big Sabacc tournament on Nar Shaddaa. An amused smile curved his lips. He was becoming adept at the card game. He was nowhere near good enough to ever play in a tournament for stakes, but he managed to win quite a few pebbles in their last game. Obi-Wan was about to make his way back to the Inn when something one of the men seated at the table next to his said stopped him.

"So, who is this Ferus Olin you keep going on about?"

A jolt went through Obi-Wan at hearing that name.  _How long has it been since I heard about Ferus_? It must have been five years at least.  _My obligations to the Order and the Republic kept me from keeping an eye on Ferus as I promised_. Obi-Wan slowly sat back down. He wasn't going anywhere until he learned all he could about Ferus. It didn't matter that Ferus left the Order before taking his trials. He had been a Jedi, he was still alive, and he was clearly in trouble. He owed it to him to help if he could. He tuned out the noise around him so he could hear the pilot's answer.

"He's a dead man is what he is," the second pilot said. "Least he will be if the Empire ever gets their hands on him."

"What's he done to get the bounty on his head?"

"Seems he helped stage some sorta rebellion on Bellassa." The pilot picked up his drink and downed it before continuing. "He didn't much like the Empire taking over the planet."

"Imagine that," the first space pilot sneered. "People ain't happy having the Emperor come in and put his people in power."

Obi-Wan tuned the rest of their conversation out. It wasn't of any importance from the sounds of it. He sat there with his hands on the table while his mind worked feverishly to process what he heard. Feelings he had not felt in a long time shot through him. He would not have hesitated to take off for Bellassa before the rise of the Empire. Everything changed after Palpatine revealed himself as the Sith and took control of the galaxy.

The Jedi Order was no more. Master Yoda was in hiding. What few other Jedi remained had scattered to the far reaches of the galaxy. As for him, he needed to remain here and watch over Luke as he promised.  _Until the time is right, disappear we will_ , was what Yoda said. However, Obi-Wan couldn't deny that going to help Ferus wasn't pulling at him.  _What do I do_? He didn't know. It wasn't like he could contact Master Yoda for advice. Qui-Gon only answered when he felt like it. He had to make this decision on his own.

Trusting himself had become difficult after his failure to prevent Anakin from turning to the dark side. He would help Ferus, he decided.  _No_! A voice inside his head snapped.  _Your duty is to protect Luke_. He also owed Darsha for everything she had done for him. He would stay on Tatooine. If he came to rue the decision later, well, he would learn to live with it. Same as he learned to live with all the other regrets careening around inside him. Decision made, he got up and made his way from the cantina.

Obi-Wan took a breath of the crisp air once he was outside. There was no sign of Fett.  _For now_. He didn't dare linger. He already took a risk coming here. Gathering his cloak around him, he made his way back to the Mos Eisley Inn. Back to Darsha. The thought of seeing her filled him with joy and contentment. However, a lingering cloud hung over him, robbing him of what little pleasure he felt. It was Ferus. He wanted to go and help him. Duty bound him to this planet.

"You should listen to your feelings," he heard Qui-Gon say. "Or have you forgotten that lesson along with all the others I taught you?"

Obi-Wan turned into an alley before replying. Acting like a crazy old desert wanderer served to shield him from suspicion, but it didn't mean he needed to stand in the street and have a conversation with himself.

"If I leave, I place not only Luke in great danger but a woman who has done everything she can to help me."

"Your friend is perfectly capable of taking care of herself, my Padawan."

"She would be alone," Obi-Wan said gravelly, "and against a very powerful enemy."

"Darsha Ra'Shai is no ordinary woman."

Obi-Wan's eyebrows feathered up. "She's not?"

"No, she's not," Qui-Gon replied. "If you searched your feelings then you would have discovered that she's the daughter of a Jedi."

Shock washed over Obi-Wan in icy waves. His heart pounded as the impossible suddenly became possible.

"The daughter of a Jedi?" He calmly asked as excitement shot through his veins. "Are you sure?"

"Would I tell you if I was not?"

No, he wouldn't. Qui-Gon was never one to say things that he wasn't certain about.

"Who was it? What was their name?"

_Do I know them?_ he wondered as he waited for Qui-Gon to reply. It explained everything, though. Darsha's Force-connection was weak, but it was there. With some guidance and training, it could grow. She was exceptionally quick and bright, with fast reflexes and a small, compact body perfect for wielding a lightsaber.  _No_! He couldn't think of training her as a Jedi. Not with Jedi being hunted along with the rest of the scum of the galaxy.

"Her mother was Taryll Du'Kai."

Obi-Wan felt as if he got sat on by a Bantha. He had never met Taryll Du'Kai but he knew of her. She had been apprenticed to Master B'hant Baku while Qui-Gon was the Padawan of Count Dooku. The two had been very good friends, taking their trials at the same time, and going on many missions together after they took Padawans. She left the Order after she had a vision of the Jedi Temple burning as a man covered in black walked through the halls and cut down all in his path with his lightsaber. That her vision became true was not lost upon him.  _If only the Council listened to her warnings_ , Obi-Wan thought, his heart twisting painfully in his chest.  _We could have prevented everything from happening._

"Are you so sure of that?" Qui-Gon's tone was as gentle as the breeze that caressed Obi-Wan's robe. It settled and soothed him, much as it had when he was a Padawan and was upset over something that happened while on a mission. "Are you so sure that if you listened that things would not have gone exactly as they did?"

"We could have made different choices." Obi-Wan grimaced as he recalled Ferus's warning about Anakin. "We could have done things differently."

"Remember, Obi-Wan, our paths are often determined by the will of the Force."

"Is the Force telling me that I need to go and help Ferus Ollin then?"

"You should follow your feelings, my Padawan."

Obi-Wan understood what that meant.

"They're telling me to go to Bellassa."

"Then to Bellassa you should go."

…

The spaceport was bustling with activity as space pilots made ready to leave Tatooine for whatever ports of call awaited them. Obi-Wan managed to secure passage to Ussa with a space pilot he knew took on any cargo or passengers, no questions asked. The passage cost him the last bit of the credits that Bail gave him, but he had no other choice. The days of public transports being readily available to him were over.

Obi-Wan waited with Darsha as Weasy loaded the cargo he'd also be transporting. They stood by some large metal containers, watching the crowds that entered and exited the hanger for a glimpse of that infamous helmet. Obi-Wan wasn't foolish enough to believe that Boba Fett had given up trying to find them. Something had happened to slow the hunter down. He just had to hope it wasn't that Fett discovered the reason he was living on a planet like Tatooine.

Darsha stirred with a sigh.

"Are you sure leaving is the wisest course of action?"

Her skeptical tone echoed the doubt inside of him. Obi-Wan was confident in his decision to help Ferus, but he couldn't deny there wasn't still a part of him that felt as if he should stay here. His first responsibility was to Luke. However, if there was any hope of him rising up to defeat Palpatine and Vader then they needed to make sure there was something there for him to fight for. People like Ferus could see to it there was something left of the galaxy to support and aide Luke in his task.

"I'm afraid leaving Tatooine is the best option that we have."

"I have a bad feeling about it," she said as she moved closer to him. "I feel like we shouldn't leave."

Qui-Gon told him he needed to follow the Living Force… and his feelings. He told Darsha the same thing...  _well_ ,  _mostly, anyway._

"You should listen to your feelings."

"My mother used to tell me the same thing." A small, sad smile curved her lips. "Listen to your feelings, and trust your instincts, they will always guide you to where you should go. That's what she'd say when I'd express doubts or concerns about something."

"Tell me about your mother?"

He had not revealed what Qui-Gon had told him about her mother having been a Jedi. Part of his reasoning was because he didn't know how to explain that he could communicate with his long-dead Master. He knew it was because of Qui-Gon's training with the Whills. However, the first time he heard his Master speak to him had still been a shock. He could well imagine it would be an even bigger one for someone who knew nothing about such things.

"I'm afraid I don't remember very much about her," she admitted ruefully. "She died when I was very young. What I remember of her was that she was always sad."

"Sad?" He looked down at her. "Why was she sad?"

"My mother was like you but chose to leave your Order when she became pregnant with me."

She didn't say her mother had been a  _Jedi_ like him _._ Like him, she was aware of the fact that people could be listening to their conversation. There were many who would turn in anybody merely suspected of having what the Holonet called "supernatural abilities" for the credits being offered. The days when one could speak freely and openly were over.

Obi-Wan also had a good idea about why Jedi Du'Kai was so sad.  _She predicted what would happen to the Order_ , he thought.  _Right down to Anakin being the man who would make his through the Temple and cut down all in his path with his lightsaber._  He didn't tell Darsha that. If she didn't know about her mother's vision then there was no need for him to tell her about it.

"What was her name?"

"Taryll Du'Kai." She sent a look at him from beneath lowered lashes. "But you knew that already, didn't you?"

"Yes." He sent her a quick, sheepish smile. "I did."

"How?" Her brow knitted. "I don't remember saying anything that would have given away who she was."

"I cannot answer that." He glanced about the hanger. "Not right now."

Not without someone overhearing him. Darsha understood that. She accepted it. Her reply reflected it.

"We can discuss it when we're somewhere safe."

Weasy signaled them with a wave.

"Go ahead and get yourselves situated on board," he called out. "I'll be doing final boarding checks just as soon as they load the last of my cargo."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said politely. He turned to Darsha. "Shall we?"

"I'm not going with you, Ben."

Obi-Wan couldn't have heard her correctly. She did not just say that she wasn't going with him to Ussa. Not when Fett was still out there and looking for them. He was about to question her further but a Chistori stopped to converse with another space pilot near where they stood. He took Darsha's arm and led her into a small alcove before questioning her.

"What do you mean that you're not going with me?"

"I'm not going with you to Ussa."

"Darsha—"

"Ben." She smiled to soften the brusqueness of her tone. "You said to trust my feelings. Well, they say that  _you_  need to go to Ussa. Not that I need to go with you."

Obi-Wan studied her face. It was pale against the dark blue of the scarf she had pulled over her dark hair. Her eyes glowed in the shadows surrounding them.

"You are not safe here."

"I'll be fine," she assured him. "It's you he's after."

She was right, he realized. Fett was after him and would likely follow him off the planet. Still, he couldn't help feeling concerned at leaving her here on Tatooine.

"Are you sure?"

"What do your instincts tell you, Ben? What are your feelings saying you should do?"

He frowned. "I'm not sure..."

She reached up to brush back a lock of hair that made a habit of falling over his forehead. The Force, never completely silent, seemed to vibrate as her fingers skimmed over his suddenly too tight skin. The air, never completely still, seemed to sigh when her hand cupped his cheek. There was that faint and fitful spark that always leaped to life when they touched. It was a weak attempt, hardly a ripple in the Force, but it was there. It just needed encouragement to make it grow.

He nurtured it without thinking, without reservation, setting his hand on her own as he stared down into her upturned face. Perhaps it was his own need to share that connection to the Force with someone that drove him to encourage that spark. Maybe it was the fact they were joined in a way that was simple and honest. All that mattered to Obi-Wan was he felt the Force grow. It pulsed between them and around them, binding them together and linking them as one. Obi-Wan would have stepped back then, satisfied at having that brief connection, but there was an invisible hand at his back, pushing him towards her. And a steady encouragement came from a voice he heard only inside the vast caverns of his mind.

_Trust your feelings, my Padawan_.

How could he trust his feelings when he didn't even know what those feelings were?

_Listen to your instincts. What do they tell you_?

"You need to stay here," he said aloud, as much for himself as for her and Qui-Gon. "While I need to go to Ussa."

_Very good,_ Qui-Gon murmured.  _Your instincts serve you well._

Obi-Wan wasn't so sure about that.

_Always remember, Obi-Wan, the Living Force is as much about knowing yourself as it is about knowing others._

Qui-Gon's presence faded after that reminder. There was more Obi-Wan wanted to say, to ask of his former Master, but he knew that now wasn't the right time.  _Or a hanger full of spectators the proper place_.

"I can keep an eye on Luke for you," Darsha said in a hushed tone. "Nobody will find it strange if I visit Beru and bring some things for him."

"What if there is trouble?" His tone was grave. "I will be very far away and not able to get to you should you find yourself in danger."

"Weren't you told to trust your instincts?"

Obi-Wan felt a jolt course through him.

"How did you know I was told to trust my instincts?"

The look she gave him was playfully smug.

"You're not the only one who has had conversations with your former Master."

His eyebrows shot up with the depth of his surprise.

"Qui-Gon has spoken to you?"

Darsha's eyes twinkled merrily. "Who do you think told me to be in that spaceport on Nar Shaddaa?"

Obi-Wan didn't get a chance to reply as Weasy shouted, "All aboard!"

"You have to go." Darsha smoothed the front of his robes with her hands. "We can talk about this when you get back."

"Be vigilant," he told her as he set a hand on her shoulder. "And be mindful."

She surprised him when she placed a kiss to his cheek. "You, too."

Obi-Wan walked over and boarded the ship, a Corellian Star yacht. Within minutes they shot off into the darkness, leaving Tatooine's atmosphere, Luke, and Darsha behind. Obi-Wan found his thoughts conflicted as Weasy set a course for Bellassa.


	12. Chapter 12

He was on a mission.  _Well_ , he amended as he made his way through the empty streets to Bellassa's spaceport.  _I have always been on a mission._  He was just on a bit of a detour from it. Luke would always be his primary focus, though. The future rest on his and his sister's far too young and inexperienced shoulders. Bail Organa and his wife would see to it that Leia was safe. It was up to him — and his aunt and uncle — to make sure Luke remained that way.

They were the ones who'd make sure he wasn't found by the Emperor or any member of the Empire.  _Especially Vader_. Obi-Wan's gut clenched at the thought of Vader discovering that Luke and Leia were alive.  _He must never learn the truth_. Everything would fall to pieces if Vader uncovered what really happened on Polis Masa.

Obi-Wan also believed Ferus Ollin was to play a part in keeping the twins safe. How? He wasn't sure. Qui-Gon told him once, "Acceptance is the key to all difficulties." That lesson, like all of Qui-Gon's lessons, extended to many aspects of his life. He learned to accept the things that happened, not fight them. He accepted the Force would explain to him what Ferus's role was when it became necessary for him to know.

Much harder for him to accept was his part in Anakin's fall.  _Had I only listened to Ferus when he confessed his worries to me about Anakin on Romin. None of this might have happened had I not turned a blind-eye to what I already started to suspect for myself. Obi-Wan_  pushed aside his thoughts and focused on the here and now.  _Another of Qui-Gon's favorite lessons,_ he thought, a faint smile curving his lips.

The spaceport was busy despite the late hour. Beings pressed towards checkpoints, many clutching bags, and bundles he suspected contained their worldly possessions. Imperial officers ordered them to return to their homes. Many turned and headed for the exit, mostly out of fear of retaliation from the stormtroopers standing guard. A squad of men in dark clothing joined those heading for the exit. Obi-Wan recognized them for what they were: Imperial spies.

Their job was simple. Follow the person's home. Get their names and the names of all their families and friends. Those names would then be put on a list. If they did one thing out of line they'd be arrested, taken before the Inquisitors, interrogated, and executed.  _So, this is what the galaxy has come too_.  _Oppression and tyranny and persecution_.

It was a frightening realization.

There was little that Obi-Wan could do to help the Bellassans, however. Everything in the galaxy had changed. Where there once was a flourishing network of support, information, and help when he needed it, there was now nothing. There was no one for him to call upon. He was an outlaw. The last of his kind. This mission would be his last. Once he found Ferus, once he helped him escape from this planet, he'd return to Tatooine.

To Luke.

To Darsha.

And his quiet solitude.

His conscience would be clear because he'd know he did what he could to help those who might still be alive.  _Ferus can do what I cannot. He can find the other Jedi who might have survived. He can help organize them and get them ready for when it is time for us to return._

"You there!" An officer barked, interrupting his thoughts. "Step forward!"

Obi-Wan did as instructed, holding out the ID docs supplied to him. The officer glanced at them and then jerked his head to the checkpoint. Obi-Wan moved forward and handed over his ID docs to the officer waiting. He breathed in and out as the man scrutinized them. He had to trust the papers were in order. Rilla and Will wouldn't have given him fake papers. They wanted to help Ferus as much as he did.

"You've got the DP-x Explorer in dock three." The officer handed him back the documents. "Pretty nice transport for a man of business." His eyes narrowed speculatively. "Where you get it?"

"The Raed-7 spaceport market sales." The lie came easily. "What a sweet deal it was, too. Lots of beauties like that for sale at the end of the Clone Wars."

"Right." The officer waved him towards the ships. "You can go."

Obi-Wan released the breath he had been holding as he walked off, tucking the ID docs back into his belt as he went. He made it six steps when the officer called out the name written on his documents.

"Ben Bagassi!"

Obi-Wan froze.  _What to do_? If he ignored the officer, then he stood a chance of being shot. He had to respond in a way that proved he was who he said he was. He plastered a quizzical look on his face as he turned.

"Yes? Is there a problem?"

"Make sure you file a flight plan before you take off," the officer said. "They won't give you clearance without one."

"Right, I forgot about that." He gave the officer what he hoped was a sheepish grin. "Thank you for reminding me."

"Of course." The officer waved him on. "You can proceed."

Obi-Wan let out a slow breath before turning to walk to his cruiser. He casually surveyed his surroundings as he approached the transport. Nothing seemed amiss but that meant nothing. Just because there had been no sign of BobaFett since Mos Espa didn't mean he wasn't lurking somewhere nearby. He had underestimated the bounty hunter once. He certainly wasn't going to do so again.

A man, large and prosperous looking by the cut of his clothes, was conferring with a pilot. No doubt a diplomat anxious to escape the planet before his presence could be discovered. A shorter figure in a dark flight suit, his back to Obi-Wan, was running through an engine check on a gray cruiser. All seemed normal.  _For now_. Things could, as he well knew, change at any moment.

Coming here to Bellassa, searching for Ferus, helping to rescue his partner and friend from the hands of the Imperial Inquisitorius was the right decision. He felt needed here. Even if all he had done so far was discover what neurotoxins had been given to Roan Lands to force him into revealing where Ferus was hiding. Being useful felt good. He felt more like his old self. The days of isolation, the weeks of grief and months of guilt left him clearheaded and more confident than he had been in a long time.

There was a comfort to being in the heart of danger. Familiar to keep his gaze moving, checking out the other beings moving between transports, always on the alert for a potential threat or the need to find a quick escape route. The slight elevation in his pulse rate, the way his blood hummed in his veins told him he was ready for whatever obstacles were ahead. It was the comfort of a routine he knew and understood. He didn't have to second guess if he was making the right choice. The Force would guide him.

Just as it always had.

Obi-Wan climbed into his transport and quickly keyed in a flight plan to Raed-7. When approval for takeoff came back, he wasted no time and took off. He followed the flight plan he submitted exactly. Any deviations would arouse suspicion. He would make one orbit of the planet before returning to the atmosphere and get to the coordinates for Arno.

A beep sounded, startling him. He glanced down at the tracking screen, a frown feathering his brow. A ship had taken off behind him. Nothing odd in that. Many ships were taking off from the spaceport. Even the ship following him didn't strike him as all that unusual. Many pilots filed similar flight plans.

However, there was something about the ship that seemed oddly familiar. He looked at the ship through the viewport. It was a Firespray-class model that appeared to have been heavily modified.  _Where have I seen such a ship before_? The answer came to him as the Force called out a warning: Jango Fett had a Firespray-class model.

"Oh," he murmured as the Firespray opened fire. "This is not good."

…

A proton torpedo exploded on his right side. It was the fifth one that Fett had fired at him. The transport lurched to one side with the force of the explosion.

"Blast!" Obi-Wan grunted as the controls got torn from his hands. "This is why I hate flying!"

He quickly regained control, putting the ship through a series of evasive maneuvers as laser cannons sent streaks of deadly fire in his direction. It had been a long time since he had to do this, yet he had not forgotten the feel of a ship's controls between his fingers, the knowledge of how far he could push before a vessel would go no more, the silvery threads of the Force as it helped guide him through the path of danger.

Fett continued to fire laser blasts at him. These weren't warning shots, he realized as he jerked the ship to the left. Fett was doing everything in his power to bring him down. It was only a matter of time before the Firespray scored a hit.

_If Anakin were here, he'd be putting the ship through some crazy sort of maneuvers that I'd be sure would get us killed_. The thought came to him unbidden. He could not seem to stop himself from those thoughts. He continued to think of Anakin as his Padawan, his friend, his brother. Not as the monster he became. He didn't want to remember him as Darth Vader.

Another torpedo exploded, closer than all the others. He needed to do something and fast. He glanced at the nav computer and saw he was near the remote mountain range of Arno. He didn't want to lead Fett there since it was close to where Ferus was hiding, but he didn't have many other options. Trying to outfly that Firespray wasn't working. He'd be mincemeat if he didn't find a way to lose Fett. He had only a few seconds to decide. The Force tingled, warning him of more laser fire a split-second before they danced by his viewport.

Obi-Wan took the ship into a dive, heading straight for the mountains. At last second, he pulled up, zooming up and over the icy peaks. He cruised around trees, dove beneath bridges coated in ice, and twisted through small openings between small mountains. A glance at the computer showed him Fett had fallen behind. It was a temporary reprieve. He'd be back all too soon. He held his speed as he kept watch for a place he could safely land.

_Ah_! He thought as a vast snowfield came into view.  _That'll do nicely_. How deep the snow was, he couldn't be sure. The computer was giving him different readings. Some suggested it was safe. Others warned there could be something beneath the surface. The snow seemed packed hard enough for the ship to settle on from this distance. He could only hope he wasn't wrong.

_Here goes nothing._.. Obi-Wan aimed the ship at the field, diving at top speed before cutting the power at the very last possible second. The ship glided toward the bed of snow like a leaf falling from a tree. Then it hit. Obi-Wan's head rocked back with the force of the impact. He held his breath as he waited to see if the snow was firm enough to bear the ship's weight.

It wasn't.

The ship sunk into the snow. A thick canopy of white surrounded him on all sides. Anxiety tingled along his flesh as the ship settled a few more meters before finally coming to a stop. Obi-Wan didn't release the breath he was holding. He didn't dare until he was sure the ship had nestled itself in the snowbank. If he had miscalculated, he would be trapped in this snowdrift forever.

It wasn't a pleasant thought.

His breath clouded the air and told him the temperature was dropping fast. He needed to exit the ship. He couldn't do that until he knew Fett was no longer a threat. He called on the Force, the only instrument he could trust. He sent his awareness up through the particles of snow into the air above.

He could hear it. The faint hum as the Firespray flew back and forth over the mountains, dipping into the snow meadows before zooming back again. Looking for him or signs of wreckage. He felt a surge of frustration and almost smiled.  _Patience is a virtue, my young friend_. After a time, the Force quieted. He managed to escape.  _Fett has not given up, however_.

He doubted he ever would.

Fett taken care of momentarily, Obi-Wan set his mind to more pressing matters.  _Like figuring out how I am going to get out of this snowdrift_. His ship, powerful as it was, wouldn't be able to blast out. Not under this much snow. There was no choice but to crawl out. He activated the canopy control. It struggled against the snow but did not rise. He took a deep breath and let it out. He wouldn't even consider the possibility he could be trapped.

He put on his thermal cape and strapped on his survival pack. Then he took out his lightsaber.  _Qui-Gon always liked to say that if no door exists... make one_. He cut a hole in the ship's canopy. Snow tumbled in, but he was able to crawl out. It took a lot of doing and the use of his grapnel line, but he finally broke through to the surface.

Obi-Wan lay back in the snow, panting heavily from the exertion, but thankful he was free from the snowdrift. He climbed to his feet and gazed at the mountains that were before him. There was no civilization here. No taxis or space cabs. If he was going to reach where Roan said Ferus was staying, he'd have to walk.  _What I wouldn't give for a sandcrawler to appear right about now,_ he thought as he began the trek.

He scaled the last cliff as the sun slid into the horizon two days later. He was beyond exhausted, hungry, and nearly frozen through. Ice crystals clung to his beard, hair, and eyelashes. A thick sheet of ice coated his thermal cloak. His boots felt like blocks of ice. He didn't stop until he saw what Roan told him to look for: a small stone cabin set between two rock formations.

Relieved to finally be at journey's end, he trudged towards it. The door opened as he made his final steps. There, poised in the doorway, was the man he came to find: Ferus Olin. His face was no longer the boyish one he recalled. The gold streak in his dark hair had turned to silver despite his only being in his early twenties.

It was testament to what Ferus had gone through since leaving the Order. Obi-Wan heard he joined the Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars but had no idea what Ferus had done or what he might have seen.

He could well imagine, however.

There was a looseness in Ferus now, a quiet assurance he hadn't had when he was a Padawan. Even his walk was different. Once, Ferus had moved with the rigid assurance that came with the disciplined mind a Jedi needed to have. Now, he moved with a supple grace.

To Obi-Wan's surprise, he embraced him in a fierce hug. It had been so long since Obi-Wan had felt anything but for grief and guilt that he feared being overwhelmed by the emotions surging through him. He swallowed them as he gently returned the hug. Finally, Ferus stepped back.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," he said with a smile. "I never thought to see you again."

"Nor I you," Obi-Wan admitted with a small smile. "Hello, Ferus."

Ferus waved him inside with one hand. "Come and warm yourself by the fire."

"Thank you."

"So," Ferus said once Obi-Wan was comfortable in a chair by the fire. "What brings you to my door?"

Obi-Wan answered simply; honestly.

"I've come for your help."

"My help?" Ferus lifted a brow. "With what?"

Obi-Wan didn't get a chance to answer as the Force screamed a warning a second before the door blew open. The blast was eerily reminiscent of the one that shredded Darsha's door back on Tatooine. Obi-Wan expected Fett to come through the doorway. Instead, it was a Niordi, its body covered in thick armor and with a laser cannon where the head should have been that came through the smoke.

_Not good_ , Obi-Wan thought.  _This is not good_. The cannon swiveled, aiming at Ferus. Obi-Wan saw the red targeting light pulse. He leaped at the Niordi, his lightsaber a slashing glow. He aimed for the thing's head, forcing it to step away and reconfigure its shot. One thought played through his head as blaster fire came from outside.

Fett had a partner.

And they had found them.


	13. Chapter 13

Fett was getting closer. Any second now and he would spot them. Obi-Wan watched the bounty hunter from the cockpit of the grounded, dilapidated cruiser he, Ferus Olin, and their stowaway, thirteen-year-old Trever Flume pirated when they made their escape from the Red Twins spaceport a week ago.

 _A week_ , he realized.  _We've been running from Fett for a week_. That didn't include the days he and Darsha spent evading the bounty hunter on Tatooine or the week it took him to reach Ferus in the mountains. In total, he had been away from Tatooine, and Luke for a little under a month now. If they didn't shake Fett, and soon, he could be away for even longer.  _What can we do, though?_

Their options were sadly limited.

He couldn't use his lightsaber or the Force. Too many people could see and make the connection between who and what he was. With the Inquisitorius now aware of his and Ferus's existence, and the Empire likely informed, as well, secrecy became even more critical. They had to find a way to stop Fett that would attract the least amount of attention and cause the least amount of damage.

_Can't have another incident like what happened in that hangar in the Red Twins spaceport._

Things got a little too close for his comfort. Spaceport security almost arrested him and Ferus. Quick thinking by Trevor saved them before things could get any worse than they already were. The only good that came from what happened was that they managed to get rid of Fett's Niordi partner.  _We solved one problem, anyway_.

Now, they just needed to figure out a way to get rid of Fett, too.

As much as being Fett's target bothered him, Obi-Wan found himself relieved that he was pursuing him. It meant Luke was safe on Tatooine.  _For the moment, anyway_ , he thought as he watched Fett.

They landed at this spaceport as much out of necessity as for the bustling activity. They should have been able to regroup here, to figure out where to go, and what to do next.

Fett clearly didn't agree with them.

Fett's compact body moved down the rows of space cruisers and space junkets, his head turning left and right as the surveillance devices installed in his helmet searched. He was moving in a pattern that seemed random, inconspicuous, but which was anything but.

He was changing rows after every fifth ship, then skipping a row, moving backward to scan the ships he missed, then repeating the pattern in reverse. It was a complex pattern for an ordinary being, but not for an exceptionally trained hunter as Boba Fett… or a Jedi like Obi-Wan. A glance at Ferus's face told him he had caught Fett's maneuver, too.

To anyone else, Fett would seem as if he was either looking for ships that might suit his purpose or for a pilot to hire. In a matter of minutes, he would check every ship in the spaceport.

Including the one they were on.

Obi-Wan scanned the ships near them for one that was in better condition and that could outrun that Firespray Fettpiloted.

"I give us three minutes," Ferus whispered. "Four, if we're lucky."

"A minute and a half." A small smile curved Obi-Wan's lips. "And that is being extremely generous."

" _Generous_?" Trevor scoffed. "You call a minute and a half  _generous_?"

"With a bounty hunter like Boba Fett?" Obi-Wan said. "A minute and a half is more than generous."

"How do you know so much about him, 'Wan?"

"I fought his father a long time ago." He grimaced as he recalled again how splendidly bad that encounter had gone. "I assure you that defeating his son will be no easy task."

"We need to find a way out of here." Ferus sat back in his seat with a sigh. "I'm open to whatever suggestions anybody has at this point."

"I say we stand and fight," was Trevor's vote. "You two can take him."

The teen's unwavering belief eased some of the tension inside Obi-Wan. It didn't stop him from berating himself for being here. His mission was to watch over Luke Skywalker. To make sure the boy grew up and received the training that would help him defeat the Sith and restore peace to the galaxy.

The Force told him he needed to help Ferus. So, he traveled to Bellassa. He did as the Force mandated. Somewhere along the way, however, he became tangled up in the resistance rising up to oppose the Empire and barely escaped with his, and Ferus' skin still intact.

Now he was halfway across the galaxy, with Boba Fett hot on his trail, and no idea of when he might return to Luke _. Or if,_ he added silently.

He had to dodge the bounty hunter getting increasingly closer to their ship. Obi-Wan couldn't return to Tatooine until he got Fett off his trail. He couldn't lead anyone to Luke.

All hope would be lost if that happened.

"We can't afford to stand and fight," Ferus reminded Trevor. "People will figure out that we are Jedi."

"So?"

"So Jedi are considered the enemies now."

Obi-Wan listened to their exchange with only half an ear. His attention was firmly fixed on the figure just a row over now.

"So, uh, what's the plan then?" Trever's spiky blue hair quivered as he looked from Ferus to Obi-Wan. "Should we just blast our way outta here?"

"Don't let that Firespray fool you." Obi-Wan cast an uneasy glance at where the ship was docked. "In addition to those blaster cannons we've already encountered, it also has laser cannons and seismic minelayers."

"And he can easily outrun us," Ferus pointed out. "There's no way we'll shake him. Not in this rust bucket." He ran a hand over the back of his neck. "What we need is a ship with decent laser cannons and a hyperdrive that won't blow the ship apart."

"Right, okay." Trever rubbed his hands together with an eagerness that reminded Obi-Wan of Anakin. "That won't be a problem. If you give me a few minutes, I'll scare us up one."

Obi-Wan sent him a stern look.

"You can't steal a ship."

"Sure, I can," he replied with a cocky smirk. "All I gotta do is bypass the initial ignition security controls. Then—"

"— we'll have spaceport security to contend with as well as Boba Fett," Ferus finished for him. "No, Obi-Wan is right. We have to do this without attracting any more unwanted attention."

"Gee, you guys sure make things easy."

"Those are the breaks when you steal aboard a ship with two wanted men."

"If we're lucky," Obi-Wan said. "We just might make it out of this with most of our skin still intact."

They weren't lucky. Obi-Wan wasn't really surprised. He hadn't been lucky since meeting Darsha. And that was more because of the manipulation of Qui-Qon than it was actual luck. Fett spotted them the second they exited the ship. Blaster bolts streaked through the air.

Obi-Wan leaped and dodged.

He couldn't chance using his lightsaber or the Force. Not when there was a crowd watching. Just the rumor of a Jedi having been seen in the Outer Rim could get back to the Empire. The hunt for the remaining Jedi would intensify. The Empire sending out additional bounty hunters placed an increased risk on them finding out about Luke.

He couldn't chance it. He had to take every precaution and make sure he didn't arouse any suspicion.

A surprised Bothan poked his head out of his cockpit a second after blaster bolts ripped into the hull of his small ship. He started to growl at Fett but backed down when he saw the blaster aimed in his direction.

The momentary diversion gave Obi-Wan a small window of opportunity. He saw a temporary shelter in an empty hanger across from them. What he did not see, and what he was most looking for was an avenue of escape.  _Well, Qui-Gon always told me that if an opportunity did not present itself to make one._

Obi-Wan charged at Fett, taking him by surprise. For one nanosecond, he was left completely unsure about what to do or what it was that Obi-Wan planned next. It was the only advantage he was likely to get against the bounty hunter.

He leaped, fully intending to plant a boot in Fett's chest. To his surprise, Fett grabbed his leg and twisted, taking Obi-Wan to the ground. He kicked up to his feet but got sent back down when an armored elbow smashed into the back of his head.

Ferus came charging in as Obi-Wan rolled to his feet. Fett turned to fire at him but the ship next to them exploded in a huge ball of flame. All three of them got sent flying by the power of the blast. Obi-Wan slammed against the permacrete with enough force that it rattled his teeth.

Ferus landed a few feet away. Of Fett, there was no immediate sign. There was a moment of shocked silence after the blast. Obi-Wan tried to figure out what happened but came up with more questions than answers. Ferus slowly sat up, coughing as the thick smoke rolled across the landing platform.

"What just happened?" He glanced at Obi-Wan. "Did you...?"

"Wasn't me."

"Fett?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I don't think it was Fett."

"Then who?"

"I honestly have no idea."

Fett surfaced at that moment, taking advantage of the smoke to move in. Blaster bolts sang through the air. Obi-Wan had to get somewhere he could use his lightsaber without arousing suspicion. Unfortunately, they already had attracted the unwanted attention they wanted to avoid.

Sirens began to sound as security became alerted to the fight. A verbal fight among pilots was one thing, property damage another. Speeders soared into the hanger, piloted by security officers armed with blaster rifles, and willing to arrest everyone involved just to make a point about this sort of violence not being acceptable. Fett was their first target, since he was still sending blaster bolts at Obi-Wan and Ferus

"Don't move," an amplified voice ordered. "Lower your weapons."

Fett lifted his rifle, but blaster fire ripped into the ground at his feet. He wisely chose to lower the weapon.

"Now is our chance to get out of here," Ferus whispered to Obi-Wan. "They'll keep Fett busy for a few minutes."

"We still are in need of a ship."

Soon as he said that, he heard the hum of an engine. Through the smoke, he saw a YT-2000 light freighter lift off a platform and come towards them. Trever, he realized. He was the one behind the explosion.  _I should have known_ , he thought with some amusement. Ferus saw the ship, too.

"Time to go," he said, smiling. "Our air taxi has arrived."

They raced toward the ship even as spaceport security ordered them to halt. Trever spun the freighter around and released the landing ramp even as he rose into the air. With a flying leap, Obi-Wan and Ferus hit the ramp and pulled themselves onboard. Blaster bolts peppered the ramp. They reached the cockpit just as Trever sent the freighter streaking into the atmosphere, leaving the spaceport and Boba Fett behind.

…

"I think we should head to Coruscant," Ferus said once they were sure Fett wouldn't be coming after them. "The Temple might have some clues about where the others have gone."

Obi-Wan heaved a quiet sigh. This, he realized as a pain streaked through his chest.  _This is the moment I have dreaded._

The one where he let Ferus down.

It couldn't be helped, though. It was past time for him to return to Tatooine. To Luke.  _And Darsha_. He had been gone too long as it was. After the events of the past month, he found he quite enjoyed the quiet of his solitude. While it felt good being with Ferus and using the skills he had acquired over his long apprenticeship, he also quite enjoyed not being constantly under threat of death.

He also had come to realize how much he missed Darsha. He especially missed the way she called him  _Ben_. He found himself longing for her gentle humor, teasing smile, and quiet comfort the longer he was away. Yes, it was time to return home. It was just breaking the news to Ferus.  _And I don't foresee him taking it especially well_...

"I'm not going with you, Ferus."

Ferus swiveled in his seat to stare at him. "What?" He shook his head. "What do you mean you're not coming with me?"

"I have given you what help as I can. It's time for me to return to my true mission."

"This secretive mission of yours." Ferus's bitterness soured the air. "What is it, exactly?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Of course you can't."

Obi-Wan sighed.  _This is going as well as I expected_.

"It is not that I do not trust you," he patiently explained. "You know that I do."

"Then why can't you tell me what mission is more important than finding those who are left and mounting a rebellion to bring down the Empire and the Sith?"

"My mission is one that if I fail would have a longstanding effect upon the galaxy and the restoration of peace and balance to the Force."

"What about those of us who are rising up against the Empire?" Impatience made Ferus's tone sharp. "You're willing to abandon us when we need your help and guidance the most?"

Obi-Wan placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I will always be here to help and guide you, Ferus. I just cannot lead this small resistance for you. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry." Ferus's face was a hard and cold mask that hurt Obi-Wan to see. "You should be. You drug me into this."

"You were already part of the resistance long before I came to help you."

"So, you're just going to leave?" Ferus's eyes flashed with the depth of his anger and confusion. "Without any regret whatsoever?"

Obi-Wan's feelings tangled inside him as he looked at him. Part of him felt as Ferus did. He wanted to go and find the remaining members of the Order. He wanted to help them build a colony where they could hide until it was time for them to again rise.

Luke's survival was of the utmost importance, though. Without him, there wouldn't be any future. He was the key to the Sith's defeat.

However, if Ferus thought he was leaving without any regret? Well, he was greatly mistaken. He did regret leaving. His decision was tearing his heart into pieces. He accepted the pain, however. Same as he accepted the regrets.

"I do not leave without regret," he told Ferus quietly. "My heart is heavy at walking away from you."

"Then why go if you have regrets?"

 _Accept regrets the way you accept mistakes. Let them flow into the Force. And move on_. That's it, he realized. That's why Qui-Gon told him he wasn't ready for training with the Whills. He hadn't accepted his regrets or his mistakes and moved on.  _When you know why you are not ready, you will be ready_. He knew why he wasn't ready. Now, he could return and start his training.

"Because I must."

Ferus accepted that with a nod. "So, what's next for you then?"

"I have a favor to ask."

"Of course, you do." Ferus clearly hadn't forgiven him yet. He would, though. In time. "What is it?"

"On your way to Coruscant, I need you to drop me on Tatooine. It's past time for me to return and resume my obligations there."

"Alright."

They landed on the outskirts of Mos Eisley as dawn was just turning the sky a reddish-orange. Obi-Wan stood at the top of the ramp with Ferus.

"What a desolate place," Ferus remarked with a wry grin. "I definitely can see the appeal."

"As if where you're going is better?"

"Ah, but there are people where I am going. And..." His eyes shimmered with mirth. "Coruscant sliders."

"Just be mindful," Obi-Wan cautioned. "Coruscant is no longer the place you knew."

"You're also not the same man I once knew."

Obi-Wan angled his head to look at him, a grin tugging at his lips.

"I'm not so stiff?"

"Oh, no, you're still that," Ferus lightly joked. "And quite pompous at times, too. However, there is also a lightness about you that wasn't there before."

"You helped me regain the perspective that I lost."

"And is she part of that perspective you lost?"

Obi-Wan followed Ferus's gaze to where a figure waited for him beneath a cliff overhang.  _I wonder how she knew to be here_? he mused. Not like he needed all that many guesses.

"She is part of my present," he told Ferus with a smile. "Someone I hope to share many quiet evenings discussing the past and the future with."

_And playing Sabacc._

"She knows about your sacred mission?"

"She does, yes."

"You can't tell me what this mission is?" One eyebrow lifted. "But you've told her?"

"The Force sent her to help me with my mission."

Ferus accepted that with a nod.

"I wish you the best then."

"May the Force be with you, Ferus Olin."

"May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Ferus turned and strode back up the ramp. Obi-Wan retreated to the shelter of the cliff overhang that Darsha stood beneath to watch as Ferus did a flight check before departure.

"You don't seem surprised that I am here."

"I have a feeling you were told to come here."

"Mm, I was, yes." She smiled at him. "Disappointed?"

"No." Obi-Wan leaned against the rock wall. "I am quite happy to see you, actually."

One dark brow quirked. "I sense a change in you."

"I have changed," Obi-Wan admitted with a smile. "I forgot I needed to accept my regrets and my mistakes and then move on."

"My mother told me that once."

"I suspect you heeded her advice better than I did the one who told me the same thing."

"He said you could be quite stubborn."

He could well imagine Qui-Gon having said that with a smile in his voice.

"I lost my connection to the Living Force," he said somberly. "I believed everything that happened was my fault."

"You blamed yourself for what happened."

"There was much to blame myself for."

"You placed all the responsibility for what happened on yourself instead of where it belonged," she said. "You carried the blame for the entire galaxy on your shoulders. And as broad as those shoulders are," she teased, "that was still a lot of weight to carry."

She was right. Blame had held him down and prevented him from seeing the truth. Now it was gone. He could focus on living. He felt Qui-Gon's presence, steady and sure. Gently encouraging.

"Perhaps I can interest you in a game of Sabacc," he said, smiling down at her. "I believe you have a few of my pods and stones still. I'd like a chance to win them back."

Her eyes glowed with impish delight.

"How about we up the ante?"

"Oh?" One eyebrow lifted. "To what?"

"Lightsaber lessons." She set a hand on his arm. "I believe part of your penance is to teach me the ways of the Force."

He covered her hand with his.

"It would be my pleasure."


End file.
